VCTR - Volume 1
by Shadowslash101
Summary: Before the fall of Mountain Glenn, VCTR Volume 1 follows the story of a Huntsman named Vulcan Goodwitch as he leads a Huntsman team named VCTR. Writer: Shadowslash101. Creators: Dever, Jefferson, Reynolds, Hogue and Beauregard.
1. Chapter 1 - Initiation - Part 1

_**VCTR – Chapter 1  
Initiation – Part 1**_

 _"... but, it is also the location of one of the kingdom's greatest failures."  
"Mountain Glenn."  
"That's right, it was an expansion of Vale! But in the end it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city..."  
"Correct! And now it stands abandoned, as a dark reminder."_

 _3 Years Before Crisis..._

"Never thought I'd see the clouds up this close…" stated a lanky, untidy dirty blonde haired young man in his fairly lively voice, peering through the extensive window of the Vale airship. His jacket draped over his shoulder was a recent gift; having velvet and dull red in the scheme. The sleeves of the apparel were slack and ample; their ends would be snug around the wrists of the wearer. His plain black shirt and grayish-black pants made him appear colorless and distinct. He exhibited a belt around his waist with high-caliber bullets tightly woven together by leather loops. The outsized buckle was spherical with an emblem of sawblades encircling the forward barreled of a six barrel Gatling. His footwear in particular were auburn hiking boots, shabby and nearly dilapidated. He sported greenish-blue eyes, and his skin appeared to have seen the light of the sun a fair amount. "Or again," he continued to speak to himself as he recalled gazing up to airships in his earlier youth, "I might've known I would, heh…"

Bemused by his memories, he began strolling down the passageway of outsiders within his age group, or near so, all of which sharing his destination… not time, nor acknowledgement. The young man wouldn't pay mind to much people as he turned inherently shy around unfamiliar faces… and he attempted not to show it by pretending to have no interest. However, he glanced toward them occasionally; personally hoping a graceful and willing individual approached him. As the blonde man continued his stroll, gazing out toward spacious vista of cotton clouds and rough forests, when he heard a particularly aggravated grunt from before him. Investigating ahead, he perceived two other teenagers, both sitting on their seats incorrectly as the seating was designed to face the windows; not one another. Both grasping onto their translucent devices, seeming to enjoy a board game together; a particularly checkered one.

"Dang it, Raiden!" barked the marginally taller teen, but he smirked in a quite ironic way, like he was embarrassed or amused, "You always win at these games!" The other gazed up to him, readjusting his square glasses with his fingers.

"It's not my fault, Carmine." He replied sneeringly, guarding his device adjacent to him as he spoke, "You just aren't paying enough attention!"

"I was payin' a lot of attention and you won!" complained Carmine as he squinted his eyes at him with a slight frown, "How do you keep doing that?"

"I'm just lucky, I guess!" chuckled Raiden.

"Um, excuse me," the blond huntsman eventually spoke as he approached them; his voice turning anxious as he raised his hand to wave, "W-what do you got there?"

"Playin' checkers on our Scrolls!" smiled Carmine as he held up his device for him to see, "But," he pointed at Raiden suddenly, barking once more, "This little ninja keeps winnin'!"

"It's not my fault." chuckled Raiden again with a shrug, sneering as his glasses flash lightly.

"Whatever!" grumbled Carmine as he frustratingly smacked Raiden's shoulder a bit hard. Raiden only yipped subtly, rubbing his arm softly. The rough teen returned his attention to the blond stranger, "So what's your name?"

"Vulcan," replied the young man with a warm smile, placing his hand on his chest, "Vulcan Goodwitch. U-Uh, you..?"

"Carmine Arvelos," replied Carmine cheerfully with his often orotund voice as he tipped his hat lightly to him, revealing thick, brown curly hair underneath the dark red ten gallon hide hat. His apparel was essentially Western, sporting a silver cross around the top of his hat as it nearly dangled in his eyes. The vest he wore was also a dark blood-red leather and the button up rolled up sleeve shirt beneath was pure snow white. An emblem was seared onto the left side, shaped in a sheriff's star with a knife and a revolver crossing over another. He sported thick leather riding pants padded for battle as even his kneecaps were covered in the sturdy dark brown padding. His dirt-stained white jeans showed through clearly underneath though. The boots he had were made of a thick russet leather; caked with dirt with a couple of dark red riding stars jutting out from behind. His bulky leather gloves around his hands with rubber finger tipped and brass knuckle buttons appeared to make his hands seem overproportioned. Below his belt of revolver shells Vulcan could see two peculiar revolvers holstered, both well-crafted with marble white handle and seven-shot cylinders.

"And this is Raiden," Carmine gestured to Raiden beside him. The thinner teenage boy stood up, bowing to Vulcan with his solid black hair and cyan eyes. His outfit appeared light and maneuverable as they seemed ideal for martial arts. The bright blue shawl encircling his shoulders made him appear mysterious. The black circular pin on his shoulder with an electric blue emblem of water being struck by lightning appeared to keep his clothing in order with a solid black undershirt preserving his modesty. The leggings sagged slightly as they ceased at his armored feet. The metal footwear appeared as an obvious weapon as sneakers underneath the lightly armored boots of electric blue and black color were barely noticeable. Nothing could be noted but the samurai design of the armor that covered his toes, ankles, heels, and his shins. The ankle armor appeared rounded with four gem-like stones embedded within: blue, light-blue, white and purple.

"Nice to meet you, uh, Vulcan," greeted Raiden as he leaned up soon, sporting a curious smile on his pale face, letting Vulcan see the light brown dimples on his cheek bones. His gravely and silent voice struck Vulcan to think he doesn't speak much.

"It's nice to meet you too, heh, uh…" he glanced down to the devices in their hands and he revealed his own device from his jacket, "I don't suppose either of you know how to work one of these..? Erm… What're these called again?" Both of the boys gave Vulcan strange expressions. "Uh… I mean… I…" he cleared out his throat, "N-Never mind…" He retreated quickly and awkwardly, leaning back some as he went. The two friends gave each other strange looks.

Vulcan quickly made his way as far as he could, walking out of their sight until he soon stopped to the most empty side of the airship. He stood still a moment in the silence and smiled a bit, liking the silence. Silence mostly meant safety for Vulcan. Where no noise existed, no one was around to find him... Usually. Grimm were often too loud for him not to notice. In his silent sanctum, the huntsman gazed out through the windows and watched as the ship glided over rooftops in Vale. He mind started to unravel as memories danced before his eyes.

He didn't know much about his father, but he remembered his mother quite well. Well enough to recall the pain she endured when his father "left." Or so she tried to tell him as he knew his father was dead from the beginning. On those sad and lonely nights, Vulcan remembered walking down the halls to see his mother in her room, crying over the family pictures with a glass of wine and a nearly empty bottle. Each time he watched, it became more and more clear that the pain he felt was his need to help his family. To help bring love and happiness to his mother, before he was gone.

Vulcan's thoughts were suddenly stolen by a slow sigh was made in the passenger seat section. The blond quickly turned around and looked around quickly. A tall darkly skinned Faunus sat lone near the exit into the lone hall where Vulcan searched. The wolf-eared being sat upright, eyes closed to help relax himself patiently. His colors were of silver and black, metal banded and armor covering his street-design apparel on his joint regions. He also wore a military-styled dog tag with black wolf's head and neck in a white circle, howling upward. His black hair was pulled back as it was less than medium length with a few silver streaks going up and over his head. His physique was well fit and healthy; well above average as beside him was a long, silver battle ax. The weapon was dual edged in a circular fashion. The blade resembling fangs as it seemed to be crafted like buttresses of a Gothic cathedral. A large crystal of Dust on the end served as the counterweight; it was hexagonal as half of it was white and the other was brown.

In his moments of silence, he heard a sudden chime from beside him, a very fruity voice from a female, full of life and vigor. "Hiya!" The stranger greeted him, catching the serious Faunus' attention. "My name's Winona Ava! What's your name?" The adorable pig-tailed girl tilted her head some, smiling at him sweetly. She was a Faunus as he could see her fox tail flicking about behind her.

The larger Faunus looked at her slightly surprised and uncertain in reacting, "I'm Titan… Rogers…"

"What'cha doin', Titan!?" she giggled some, leaning toward him a bit. She had a slim figure as her hands held a couple of pompoms in bright green and silver. Her eyes were golden and her hair was a ginger color too. Her outfit seemed fit for cheerleading or ballet as it was colored mainly in bright green and lined with silver. Her skirt was short enough to barely cover her thighs but she wore long black leggings beneath that stretched down to her bright green tennis shoes. Around her waist was a thick designer's belt with a big round buckle and hanging from her back from the belt was a long bright red feather with a white tip and there was also Winona's tail, bright red fox tail with silver tip. Her shirt seemed to be a part of her skirt with strings strapped over her shoulders. Titan leaned back from her some awkwardly. "Nothing… Just waiting… like everyone else."

"Oh, really!?" She grinned as she sat back now, "I'm waiting too with my best friend!"

"Best friend…?" Titan looked at her oddly now as she didn't seem to be a person who would make best friends easily… unless there was more of her. That doesn't bode well for him.

"Yep!" she nodded quickly, looking back to a young man sitting alone with his scroll out, watching videos with his headphones on… and he looked back to them both, smirking some. "Hey, buddy!" She waved quickly to him. Titan just raised his eyebrow at the young man, who began to laugh at him.

The young man was tall enough to meet Titan's shoulders, having black hair and green highlights and darkly tanned skin. His apparel was casual, having blue jeans and a papaya green hoodie, but with a dark gray tool belt with several open holsters, but only one peculiar tool in one: a bright green customized nail gun. The headphones he had around his neck were green and black and worn down, appearing to be always used and worn on his being. He also wore blue tennis shoes.

"What's so funny?" Titan spoke in his serious tone.

"You!" The friend of Winona gestured toward Titan, "You've made this all so awkward! All of you Atlas guys, I mean really."

Titan frowned at him hard, not impressed by his disrespect. Quickly Winona spoke, "One Faunus to another, he's just playing around! I promise!"

As Winona talked, the young man finally stood up. He walked over to Titan and held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Plamen Papaya!" He said with a smile on his face as he pulled down his headphones.

"Mmh…" Titan shook the young man's hand firmly, "Titan Rogers. Where do you both come from?"

"Siiiignal! From the island of Patch!" giggled Winona cutely as she spoke in a singsong voice, grinning some.

"The small island of Patch, huh? Is it as small as they say?" Titan asked with his monotonous voice.

"Small?" Winona looked at him oddly, "I thought it was just a normal school!"

"Winona…" Plamen said rolling his eyes at her some.

"Hey, guys! What's happenin' over here!?" shouted another voice entering the room. The three acquaintances look over to see Raiden and Carmine approach. Immediately, Carmine laid eyes upon Winona and he became silent, blushing brightly as he stared at her indefinitely. Dumbstruck, Carmine couldn't seem to take his eyes off her serene beauty and adorableness. However, this brief moment got shot out of the water as Plamen suddenly shouted, "Hey, Private Derp!" Carmine looked down to him, who was squatting below, looking up to him, "What'cha lookin' at?!"

"Uh!?" Carmine stepped back a bit, looking at Plamen in surprise. Winona stared blankly a moment in confusion, not knowing what Plamen meant at all in her ignorant bliss. Titan heard enough already as he put his earbuds in his ears and listened to his music from his Scroll. Paul and Raiden laugh as Vulcan watched them from the outer hall as he walked past the door, he gazed back to the window, sighing a bit as he was nearing the television area and he stopped, seeing the program suddenly getting interrupted by a hologram of Glynda Goodwitch. "Greeting, Students," she said and began to speak as Vulcan became distracted by the clouds as he saw them part and he could soon see the school of Beacon Academy come into view. He smiled some as he walked over to the window for a closer look, putting his hands on the handle bars to keep people from falling through the windows in cases of emergency. "Wow…" He smiled brightly in nervous excitement and soon he felt a presence behind him… with familiar chatter… He focused on the reflection of the window and he soon noticed the party he noticed earlier now behind him with a large group of students all grouping and smiling in excitement. Vulcan just remained silent and still as he waited from them all to scatter in this awkward position he was in.

Soon the airships touch down, and the passengers were let out, Vulcan looked around as he now wore his jacket on now as the collar revealed how the inside was furry and warm, giving good insulation for cold nights or weather as it was nearing fall now and the weather was beginning to turn. The zipper was slanted, coming from one side of his collar down to the other side of his hip. He had it zipped up most of the way to keep it from looking awkward. The jacket also seemed to be put together by four patches of velvet, orange and black. On his back was his metal backpack, made for backpacking one would assume at first, but with a closer look and you would notice the gun barreled and chain blades inside it. The pack with painted bright red with golden lining of half fleur-de-lis. The straps that held the pack to his back were bullet belted. As Vulcan walked, he looked around, seeing all the other students walking and mingling with one another.

He quietly frowned as the voices and laughter continue. His eyes flash bright red as he grunted.

Vulcan let loose his anger.

He punched a bunch of luggage beside him, causing a domino effect as they fell onto another student, causing him to push a cart of luggage away into one of the guards, making him fall and fire his weapon. The mass of people stir in surprise as some rush to safety and Atlas guards went on alert, aiming their weapons as they began looking around to find out what happened, reporting to their superiors as they go. Some students actually pulled out their weapons in reflex, expecting the worst to happen already, including Titan and Raiden.

The bewildered Vulcan looked around in nervous anticipation of the guards coming after him. As he held up his hands slowly, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his ear, pulling him away from the scene quickly. "Ack..!" Vulcan yelped as he's pulled away and led back behind one of the pillars ahead. He was soon released and smacked upside the head by a familiar riding crop. He winced in pain, "Ooooooow…" The young man soon looked up to see Professor Ozpin and Glynda looking at him. Glynda gave him the normal glare and frown of disapproval as Ozpin looked at him calmly, neither frowning, nor smiling in this serious moment. "What do you think you're doing?" Glynda grumpily scolded him, holding up her riding crop some, "You could've gotten someone killed! One of the students could've been badly injured, or worse one of the guards!" She pointed the crop at her nephew, "We didn't accept you just so you can cause a scene!" Vulcan gulped a bit, looking down as she didn't hold back as usual.

Ozpin took his cane, gently pushing Glynda's crop down, "Glynda, I think some of our new candidates need assistance on where they need to go for the initiation."

Glynda turned her gaze toward Ozpin, but not at him directly as she still glared at Vulcan, "I'll see to it that they're given proper guidance." She turned and walked away rather briskly, crossing her arms as she went. Vulcan took a moment to breathe as the weight felt lifted off his chest.

"Endearing, isn't she?" Ozpin smiled to Vulcan lightly but sincerely, "You never had the chance to know your aunt better, mmh?" Vulcan just shook his head to him some; silent as he felt that was more respectful. "Well?" The silver haired headmaster tilted his head lightly, "Mmh… I see." He looked back to the guards all returning to their posts. Soon he looked back to Vulcan, "There's no need for silence. You're not in trouble."

"Thanks…" Vulcan eventually spoke, sighing a bit.

"Nervous?"

"Yeah…" Vulcan nodded his head to the wise headmaster, smiling back to him some.

"That's okay, but you don't have to be. It's just a simple initiation. I'm sure Glynda explained everything to you before you boarded the airship." Ozpin spoke, watching Glynda direct some students toward the candidate housing.

"Yep." Vulcan nodded lightly, "Said something about making sure I remembered all my techniques before I go, heh."

"That's good. You've got a reputation to uphold." Ozpin nodded some as he looked back to Vulcan.

"A… reputation…?" Vulcan asked him a bit confused.

"Yes, but I wouldn't worry too much." Ozpin nodded some, pointing to the young man, "You just remember that we're expecting you to do the best in all your abilities. Do not hold back, Vulcan. Eight years should have taught you all you need to know out there," He looked out to the forest not far from them. He returned his gaze to Vulcan, "but now you're going to be running with the big boys." He tapped Vulcan's chest with the handle of his cane, "Remember that."

"Heh…" Vulcan nodded some to Ozpin, chucking lightly, "Thanks, Professor Ozpin."

"Your welcome. Your aunt cares for you, Vulcan." Ozpin nodded to him, "Don't be afraid to ask for her guidance," He chuckled some, "But I shouldn't be saying that," he turned around and walked off toward the building, "I'll be seeing you, Mr. Vulcan."

"S-See you," Vulcan waved to Ozpin as he walked over to follow the other students when Glynda tapped his shoulder and he looked back to her.

"Consider this a warning, step out of line again and I won't hesitate to commit disciplinary action," Glynda crossed her arms, "I'm watching you, Vulcan. We're expecting big things from you."

"Mmh…" Vulcan nodded a bit to her and smiled some, "Thanks, Aunt Glynda. I'll try not to lash out like that again." Glynda nodded and looked back, directing student traffic as Vulcan resumed following the flow.

"So, what's this initiation 'bout?" Carmine asked his friends as he laid out his mat. He laid on his stomach as he was just across from Winona now. He wore his red overalls for bed tonight in the steadily dimming room.

Raiden looked back to him with a dull look, wearing his plain blue pajamas, "I already told you, Carmine." He mumbled some as he rolled out his mat beside his best friend.

"I forgot, bro," laughed Carmine awkwardly.

"It's not supposed'ta be known, ya dunce!" spoke Plamen as he held up his Scroll as he laid on his belly between Winona and Titan. Titan laid on his back, listening to music still as he wore a black long sleeve shirt and shorted. Plamen was in a shirt and underwear as Winona wore her green pajamas, "That's why it's also called a test!" Plamen gave him a smart look for a moment.

"Well, that isn't fair! How'll we be ready?" Carmine pouted a bit.

"I already told you!" Raiden huffed a bit as Vulcan passed by them, watching and eavesdropping in their conversation, "You'll need to remember everything you've been taught in our Vacuo Huntsman School."

"Awww…" Carmine laid his head on the floor, huffing some.

"Don't worry, Carmine!" Winona giggled some happily, "We can do it! I was told we get to be in teams in this initiation!"

"Well…" Carmine lifted his head from his pillow, "I guess you're right… Heh… We can do it, W-Winona!" The fox Faunus nodded to him quickly as he laid on his back, "Well, I'mma hit the hay. Night!"

"Good night, and don't forget about what you've learned before!" Plamen laughed some at him.

"I won't…" Carmine waved his hand a bit airily as he spoke.

Vulcan meanwhile kept walking, not watching where he was going and suddenly he bumped into someone.

"Ooof...!" He stepped back some and he looked down to see young man in front of him, holding a rolled up mat as he wore a black robe on him with a hood that's shadow covered his face, especially in this dark room. "Watch where you're goin'!" Grumbled the shorter dark figure… in slippers, his penetrating voice intimidated Vulcan.

"S-Sorry…" Vulcan sayed looking away some nervously.

"What? You think that you're tall that means you don't need to look out for us little people, eh?" grunted the hooded figure, who was barely a full head beneath Vulcan.

"Uh… Well, you aren't that short… sir..!" Vulcan grunted a light when the figure pushed past him, "Mmm'kay…" Vulcan mumbled as he walked over to roll out his mat as the lights went out and he laid down. Using his jacket as a blanket as he closed his eyes. As he tried to go to sleep, someone suddenly stepped on his stomach and he grunted in pain, "Gah..!"

"Oh, sorry! I didn't see you there." Said the hooded figure from earlier coyly as he turned around and stepped on him again.

The next morning, Winona was going at it, chiming and talking in rushed fits about how excited she was for today. She expressed it during everyone waking up, the showered and finally at breakfast where both Plamen and Titan shout, "Shut up!" As loudly as they can, making a strong wind to stick up Winona's pig tails.

"What crawled up your tailpipe and died!?" Shouted the hooded figure from across the table, chuckling a bit as he sat by another one, she being silent as she was obviously feminine.

"What's that, scrub!?" Plamen suddenly stood up angrily and curled his fists. Titan pushed him back down to sit with his dull expression.

"Nothing!" The hooded figure shook his head, chuckling lightly.

Carmine and Raiden soon sit with the three friends, "So! What's for grub!?" happily spoke Carmine as he began to dig into his meal of pancakes.

"Pancakes!" chimed Winona cheerfully.

"Looks good," Raiden said with a light smile.

"Your Faunus girlfriend looks good," heckled the hooded figure again.

"What's that, scrub!?" Plamen shouted as he suddenly stood up again.

"Nothing!" The hooded figure just shook his head and chuckled as Vulcan watched them in awkward silence.

Later, the candidates are called to the initiation area and Vulcan followed them, last in line. As soon as he arrived there, outside where the candidates are lined up shoulder to shoulder, a couple feet apart, Vulcan felt a riding crop on his chest, stopping him . "Do you have everything you need?" Glynda calmly and quietly asked him so the others wouldn't hear.

"Got lunch," Vulcan chuckled lightly and Glynda just lowered her riding crop some.

"Stand on the gray square next to Mr. Titan," She gestured to Titan near them as Ozpin smiled light at Vulcan obeying.

"Nervous?" Ozpin asked him with his usual smile.

Vulcan looked back to him and shook his head a bit, "Not really." Ozpin smirked some and nodded. A few moments passed and Vulcan looked around some, looking back to Titan, "Uh, hey. I'm Vulcan… Vulcan Goodwitch," he spoke some, holding out his hand.

"Titan Rogers," Titan replied monotonously as he shook Vulcan's hand, "Nice to meet you."

"Ditto," chuckled Vulcan lightly.

Soon, Ozpin spoke, "Greetings, candidates. It's my pleasure to congratulate you on coming this far to Beacon Academy, but now, the real test began." He nodded lightly, gesturing to the forest ahead of them, "Before you is an area which is infested with Grimm, but there you will each need to find an artifact… and bring them back here before sundown." The headmaster spoke as Glynda held up her scroll, showing a chess piece on it, "The initiation test is for us to gauge how much you remember from your schools and how you all fare in battle. You'll all be thrown into the air and show us your landing strategy, once you touch down, the first person you'll have eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years. Stay sharp and good hunting." Suddenly, Vulcan heard a horn go off and the first candidate was launched off.

"U-Uh…" Vulcan looked back to Ozpin in nervousness, "Professor Ozpin… What's a landing strategy…?"

"Ugh…" Glynda frowned at Vulcan hard.

"May I, Professor Ozpin?" Titan spoke with a light smile and Ozpin nodded to him. Titan turned to Vulcan , holding up his hands to explain, "A landing strategy is very simple. What's going to happen is that we're going to be launched off and you need to find a way to land onto the ground safely without hurting yourself, understand?"

"Uh…" Vulcan gulped as Titan is soon launched off, "Whaaaaaaaaaaa!?" Vulcan shouted as he's launched off behind Titan, sprawling out of control.


	2. Chapter 2 - Initiation - Part 2

_VCTR – Chapter 2  
"Initiation, Part 2"_

The sharp whipping of branches and leaves zipped past him in his descent as Raiden felt himself penetrate through canopy of the forest. His eyes opened and it would seem as if time had slowed around him as he spotted the first large branch he was plummeting toward. In an instant, talon-like blades flashed out from beneath his armored boots and the dial at his ankle flashed in activation. He flipped backward, allowing his feet to come in contact with the branch. He looked forward in the rush, spying several more tree limbs ahead, and in his mind he crafted a path that his feet flawlessly followed. The ninja-huntsman sprints across the bevy of trees with grace and silence. His rush abruptly came to an end as he allowed both legs to rush ahead of himself and the blades hooked onto the final branch, allowing himself to swing much like a bat underneath, gaining momentum in his advance and he flung himself forward, somersaulting into the bushes like a graceful acrobat and he landed with a perfect ten.

Crouched over the ground, Raiden soon realized that his advance didn't go unnoticed. He focused into the forest shadows around him to find the piercing red eyes of several Grimm. From the sound of their growls and snarling, Raiden could confirm they were indeed Beowolves. Raiden remained low, listening closely for a moment as he heard the charge from behind, another Beowolf. The Alpha perhaps? The charge was rapid and difficult to track, but Raiden still awaited the assault, allowing himself to appear to be easy prey. Finally, he felt the heaviest stomp from behind and the heavy snarl. The beast prepared his attack as the others jump from the shadows, piling over Raiden in the most uncoordinated manner. In that moment, a shadow flashed over the huntsman and he disappeared into thin air, escaping the hardcore dogpile. The umbra monsters all crawl back and sniff around. They look down, seeing their target has somehow escaped from them. Their alpha looked around irritably, looking back to his underlings and roars. In that moment, the clean sound of metal rang through the air and one Beowolf's head fell clean off. The pack, confused and angry, begin to go berserk, slashing wildly. With their luck, one blow actually struck something in the air.

With a grunt, Raiden reappeared in his spill, hitting the ground and rolling in the dirt. He coughed as the Alpha just batted him from the air. It turned to him as the pack continued their enraged bloodbath.

"Heh…" Raiden chuckled lightly as he attempted to stand up, smirking lightly, saying nothing else as the Beowolf approached him. Raiden's ankle dial spun around and clicked, stopping at a light blue gem and it shined, letting his boots' accents softly gleam. He bolted forward, electricity trailing behind him as his movements became too fast for the Alpha Beowolf to track and his cleats came into contact with the monster's body, sending him careening into his pack with bolts of lightning flowing through it and the rest of the pack.

Raiden skidded to a stop as the Beowolves begun to stand up again while the black mist spurted from their defeated brethren. The Alpha roared as it was the first to stand and charged at Raiden with the rest of the pack. Raiden rushed forward, slashing his cleats against the armored being, clinking against his armor in swift focused techniques. The electricity proving to be effective in paralyzing the beast, but the others rush around, slashing at Raiden as he jumped back from the Alpha. Raiden backflipped out from them, assuming an offensive position for his next attack as his dials spun again. But a loud noise of heavy gunfire from behind him shattered his focus.

"Eh..?" Raiden looked back, spotting a flurry with bright red coming toward him in a strange manner. Almost as if something was projecting itself toward them.

"Incoming!" A familiar voice shouts from the shadows and Raiden rushed out of the way just in time as the person on his jet-like weaponry lurched backward, pointing his weapon at the pack and unleashes a hell-like fury of high caliber bullets upon the monsters. Torn to shreds, the Beowolves dissipated into the black musk. Raiden looked up to the huntsman to only widen his eyes in surprise.

"Vulcan…?" He muttered in disbelief as the shy and socially awkward huntsman turned back to him with his jacket having one sleeve occupied by his arm, but the other was free and sleeveless.

Vulcan smirks as he held up his brightly colored and fiery mini gun, "Hell of a landing strategy, eh?!" He laughed a bit, looking way more confident and different in his eyes, "Thought it up myself." The mini gun had eight barrels to it and the color scheme appeared red and yellow together. The gun forming a box-like body to it. Not extremely large like some mini guns Raiden has seen. It was more compact in design as it had the notable ammo belt and second handle for one to wield it. However the trigger handle was protected by the metal box frame of the weapon, keeping Vulcan's hands from being damaged.

"... I don't think you're supposed to say that, Vulcan…" Raiden said quietly as he readjusted his glasses. In that moment, the confidence broke within Vulcan. Their moment was quickly ended by a simple snarl of desperation. The black mist retreated into the air, revealing the Alpha to have survived once more. His body wasn't the same though as the trashing it received tore away its armor and left it exposed to attack. Vulcan's eyes narrowed onto it disdainfully as his weapon shifted around, forming a chainsaw that Vulcan flipped around to hold forward. Raiden could see the unique weapon appeared more like a sword, mainly a bulkier version of a rapier in red and yellow. There was a handle on the back of the weapon for a stronger strike. The chain blade was bright red and appeared sharp and meant to tear into enemies with ease.

"Dang things don't stay dead..." Vulcan grumbled as the Alpha regained its composure, growling at them.

"We should try a combined attack." Raiden said as he rose his arms and leg, going into a Crane kung-fu position.

"You take left, I'll take right. Ready?" Vulcan gazed at Raiden for a moment as the Beowolf rushed toward them.

Raiden caught this and nodded to Vulcan, "Break!" He shouted as he jumped toward the side swiftly, running around to the monster's side. Vulcan's rushed in with his chainsaw, holding it up and let out a warcry, readying for a strike. The Beowolf lunged at Vulcan first, seeing him to be the closest. Vulcan quickly swung his revving engine and tore through the monster's arm. The red chain gleamed brightly in intense heat. Beowolf lost balance and fell forward, giving a wide opening as Raiden sliced its head clean off from the neck. In an instant, the body flashed away into the black mist.

Vulcan stood still a moment, taking a deep breath before shifting his chainsaw into his metal backpack, swinging it around his shoulder. "Teamwork makes the dream work…" he joked a bit, smiling lightly to Raiden, who smirked back at him. They soon heard crashing noises not far from them and both of their gazes beamed straight toward the source. "Sounds like trouble…" Vulcan said before running in that direction, "Let's go!" Raiden swiftly followed him from behind.

The breeze sweeping through his attire felt peaceful to the hooded stranger, sitting at the edge of the cliff he careened into during his landing strategy. In light of this, he smoothly lifted his hand onto his shadowed face carefully.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUCH!" He ironically shouted in memory of that pain. He leaned back and stood up on the edge of the cliff, looking down as he noticed activity within the trees: a familiar bright violet color flipping through the forest; in combat with what appeared to be a Nevermore. The figure smirked underneath his hood, letting out a sharp whistle before he hopped from the cliff, heading down into the forest swiftly. The violet blur rushed toward his descent and halted in the branches beneath him.

Another hooded stranger, feminine in appearance readied her weapon: a scalpel-like twinblade. Using the blunt side, she swung her partner forward as soon as he landed his feet onto the weapon. It ignited a violet dust and propelled her partner forward into the approaching Nevermore. The Hooded Huntsman flinched as soon as he realized he was too close and flung his body into a blur to dodge the Nevermore's swiping. Soon finding himself on the back of the Grimm, he reached into his hood, taking out his weapon, a dual edged lance sword, and slipped in a dust crystal within the handle. Pressing a lever to activate it, his sword bursted into flames. As the Nevermore realized this, it twisted back as the Huntsman penetrated into its back, causing it to roar in pain. The Huntsman grunted, clinging onto the handle of his weapon as the Nevermore flied around violently.

"Dammit!" exclaimed the huntsman as his partner rocketed up from the forest trees with her violet aura behind her and slashed at the Nevermore's beak, grabbing its attention now as it dove after her.

"Audra!" The huntsman exclaimed in shock. In desperation he swung himself around the sword and proceeded to run up the creature's back, causing it to scream as it divided into two halves, crashing into the forest as it disintegrated. Audra narrowly avoided the sprawl as she landed in the branches, spotting her partner landing on the other side. She sighed in relief as he gazed back up to her. Audra nodded to him, "Otieno…" She muttered quietly before jumping down to the ground below as Otieno followed.

After touching down and creating a small crater within the forest floor, Titan silently and carefully explored through the Emerald Forest's dark paths.

"Mmh…?" His wolf ears twitched lightly at distant squealing. He blinked, holding out his battleax as he hurried through to the potential huntress-in-distress.

To his surprise, it was something much different as he found a lone Beowolf, a stray, swiping and growling at its victim's dangling, flailing body above it. Titan's eyes darted up to find Carmine, hanging and squealing in fear from the monster's attempts to grab him.

"Help!" Carmine exclaimed in the suspense.

Titan noticed that Carmine had also dropped his weapons beneath the Grimm, and he sighed.

"Clumsy," He muttered irritably as he took his ax and swung it through the Beowolf and tree. The Beowolf fell into black dust in seconds as Carmine yelped. The tree was falling. Titan reacted quickly, dropping his weapon as he caught the tree with his bare hands. With a mighty grunt, he lowered the tree safely to where Carmine could drop. "There we go…!" After Carmine fell onto the ground with a thud, Titan grunted and looked back to Carmine, frowning a bit. "How the heck did you did you get stuck like that?"

Carmine stood back up shakily, sighing in relief as he scrambled over to grab his weapons: a couple of revolvers fashioned with long, sharp knife blades below the barrels of the gun. He took a look at his ammunition as he spoke.

"Lucky straggler nearly got me! If you hadn't come around, I'd've been a goner too!" He laughed lightly and shakily as he looked back to Titan, holstering his revolvers with a big innocent smile.

"Great…" Titan grumbled, "You better watch your back because none of Beacon's instructors are going to save you if you get caught like that again. Just…" Titan held up his hands, trying to make sense of it as he turned his attention to the tree on the ground, "how did you get stuck in a tree during a landing strategy!?"

"Heh, heh… Just lucky…?" Carmine grinned again as he rubbed the back of his neck and they hear the distant crashing sound soon. Both of their gazes turn toward it, "Uh… Should we figure out what happened?"

"If other candidates are prepared to be accepted into Beacon, they should be prepared to accept the consequences when they fail," Titan spoke calmly as he holsters his ax on his back, "We press onward on our own. Others will be doing the same anyway."

As the large Faunus spoke, he began to step forward to begin their search, but noticed Carmine still looking in the direction of the loud crash.

"Mmh..? What is it?"

"I saw some ruins in that direction, I think…" Carmine spoke in deep thought, trying to remember what he saw when he was plummeting earlier as he was pointing right where the crashing sound was from, "It was quick, but I think I saw a bunch of pedestals there too!"

"… Seriously?" Titan sighed a bit as he stepped over to Carmine and soon he shrugged a bit, "Worth a look, I guess," he patted Carmine's back lightly, "Lead on!" Carmine chuckled a bit and nodded, running ahead now as Titan followed, "Not so fast! I'm not saving you twice in one day!"

"Oh, boy…" Plamen nervously said to himself as he found himself lost within the deep forest, "Where's the freaking artifacts at!?" A rustle is heard near him and he stopped, looking around himself with wide eyes.

"What was that…?" He muttered as he turned toward the rustling sounds slowly, carefully reaching for his nail gun holstered on his hip. His eyes focused on the shaking brush, knowing it to be a Grimm. Soon the rustling stopped and he kept his eyes trained on the bush.

"Herro!" Winona's voice pierced through the air, startling Plamen as he exclaimed in surprise, firing incessantly into the bushes. Winona soon leans out from another bush beside Plamen, gazing toward the brush he fired into.

"Did you get the bush..?" She asked him curiously as her friend turned back to her with a frown, panting lightly, "I bet you got it!" The Huntress happily chimed as they hear movement from the brush and a small Grimm scuttled out, screeching lightly as it stumbled about its eight creepy legs and fell flat unto the ground.

Plamen stared at the creature, frozen.

"Crawlers!?" Winona jumped out of the bush then, shuddering some, "Ewwww! Those Grimm are creepy…"

"And the worst part is, where there's one there's always an infestation…" He muttered with a light crack in his voice, hinting fear as his eyes darted from side to side as he held up his yellow nail gun, "Let's stay alert… and not get eaten today…" .

Winona noticed he would move now and looked around a moment or two, and back to Plamen. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, not everyone at once!" She said as she held up her arms. In that a moment, a loud crashing sound could be hear near them, shaking the ground. They lost balance in the quake as the ground began to shift beneath them and break apart, causing small fissures to appear around them. Plamen and Winona looked at one another before a huge pair of insectoid-like legs bursted through the earth. Their large sharp blades on the ends lurched back and latched onto the ground, pulling up their source. Winona grabbed her friend by the ankle as he fell flat on the ground.

"Incoming!" she shouted as she jumped off the growing mound beneath them onto the flat ground, pulling Plamen with her.

With a thunderous explosion of rock and earth, a spider-like monstrosity rose from its underground slumber, bringing with it swarms of underling Crawlers from its nest, scurrying and scuttling about the surface for fresh food. The monster was colossal, being fifteen feet in width and as tall as a normal suburb house. The legs of the creature were as black as night and its arm-like appendages twitched and shifted around its blood red, sharp mandibles. Above one could plainly see the blood red designs of most alpha Grimm and the bone white carapace, but that was covered up by the ingrown trees and vegetation from its long hibernation. The many sickly yellow eyes smoldered with a deathly presence within its skull-like head. The large abdomen behind it confirmed it to be the proud mother of this infestation of decadence.

Winona gasped in shock at this and she grabbed the back of Plamen's collar as he appeared to be stiff as a board.

"Time to go!" She shouted before they zoomed away from the flood of Grimm. The Alpha Crawler noticed this and slowly turned toward the retreating pair, screeching an ear-piercing sound as its offspring rushed into a frenzy. Winona's eyes widen as she wasn't fast enough to escape the Crawler swarm. She raised up one of her bright green pompoms and it shifted around, revealing to be a modified Colt handgun. She fired at the Crawlers to keep the closer ones back from her to gain distance

"Paul, wake up!" she shouted as the chase seemed to have one inevitable fate.

In a flash, a miracle happened. Winona saw the earth spike out from between them and the Crawlers and noticed Otieno and Audra approaching their position. Otieno rushed up before Audra, pressing his handle as the Crawlers approached him and he swung his lance sword around, freezing the Crawlers in ice and impaling many Crawlers behind.

"Go now." Otieno calmly said to them while the forces of Crawler Grimm climbed over the wall of ice with difficulty.

"No way!" Winona said as she stood up, holding up her other pompom and both shift into tonfas with pompom puffs at the longer ends. The handles of the handguns served as they were, while the barrels stuck out from the shorter lengths. "Plamen and I can help!"

"Listen, you're both in over your heads," Otieno grumbled at her as Audra rushed at the inferior Crawlers, slashing at them with her scalpel blades, spinning it around her body with the inertia from the gravity dust ignitions, "Beside that, Plammy-boy here doesn't have the freaking guts to help!"

"What's that, mate!?" Plamen shouted as Otieno's insult released him from his paralyzed state, "I'll show you guts!"

He held out his hands and bright yellow lines appear, forming mechanisms and pieces. Soon it created the form of a rocket launcher and color began to fill between the lines, creating matter and such to finish his weapon. He aimed at the Alpha carefully.

"Fire!" he shouted and the rocket launched, blasting against the white carapace of the creature and it screeched thunderously in agony. Otieno paused at this, seeing Plamen's Semblance wasn't something to be trifled with. In Plamen's inspiration, he pointed at Audra and Winona.

"Take down the little guys! Scrublord and I'm takin' the big mama!" he shouted as another rocket materializes in his launcher. Winona nodded quickly and jumped into the fray, smacking and shooting Crawlers left and right with Audra.

Otieno looked back at Plamen.

"… You have a plan?"

Plamen smirked at Otieno.

"Ever tried a rocket jump before?"


	3. Chapter 3 Team VCTR and Team PAOW

_**VCTR – Chapter 3**_

Team VCTR and Team PAOW

"It seems that our first team is already assembled," Glynda spoke in thoughtfulness as she watched the events through her scroll.

"Otieno and Audra are excellent students from Sanctum Academy," Ozpin thoughtfully spoke as he drank his coffee, "And Signal students almost never disappoint, but whether or not they make a functional team is yet to be seen." The headmaster nodded quietly as he flipped through the other observation cameras, watching Raiden and Vulcan a moment as Glynda spoke.

"It would appear that our next team will be uniting at the artifact site…" She looked up to Ozpin as he only gave a light mumble. Readjusting her glasses again, she turned her head in his direction, "Professor Ozpin?"

"A prodigal son, two headmasters' prodigies, and a family heir," Ozpin muttered audibly finally, "How prestigious…"

"… You're talking more than usual..." muttered the instructor as she returned her focus to the live feed.

Vulcan and Raiden both halt as they come across a small ruin in the forest clearing, harboring several pedestals around a highly decorated floor. Vulcan looked back to Raiden a moment as they both hear the screeching and fighting not very far from them. "We should hurry," Vulcan said as he walked up to one of the pedestals and taking one of the many pieces on it, "And of course everyone takes the good pieces…" He grumbled a bit as he held up a white rook, "I wasn't ever good at chess, even when I learned more about it."

"You hear fighting and think it's a good time to talk?" Raiden looked at him oddly.

"… Well, Vale only accepts the best of the best, right?" Vulcan laughed a bit awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head, his low self-esteem burning brightly again, "Just, uh… they'll be fine…"

"You said to hurry though," Raiden raised his eyebrow at him before readjusting his glasses.

"Just, trust me on this, okay?" Vulcan huffed lightly as he holds up the rook a moment, looking at it carefully. In a brief moment they hear a couple candidates approach their vicinity. They turn around to spot Titan and Carmine coming to them.

"Carmine!" Raiden waved to him as his friend spotted, and Carmine came blazing through the grass, jumping to hug his best friend.

"Raiden!" Carmine shouted as his friend immediately stepped to the side to let him zip past and slide into a pedestal. The country huntsman groaned as he sat himself up and rubbed his head as he took of his hat, "Ouch…" He grumbles a bit as a rook piece fell onto his head, making a small pop. "Gah!"

Vulcan just laughed as he saw this and Titan walked up to them, crossing his arms, "Looks like you weren't wrong, Carmine," He spoke with a light smile as he scanned the chess pieces carefully before turning his attention to Vulcan, "Looks like we're on the same team after all, huh?"

The blond huntsman just laughed a bit, holding up his hand to his new friend for a high five. Titan looked at Vulcan a moment and merely saluted to him. Vulcan saw this and stared back blankly for a couple moments.

The blond huntsman soon blinked in confusion, "Uh…?"

"Hey, guys!" Carmine shouted as he stood back up onto his feet, "Look! Our test is over with now!"

"Uh…?" Vulcan looked at the remaining two artifacts, bishop pieces, and his attention is taken back by the fighting not far from their position. "Mmh…"

"We can jus' turn tail an' head out!" Carmine laughed as he slipped the piece into his pocket then.

"We don't need to fight everything we come across anyway," Raiden nodded some as he crossed his arms.

"Any other candidates should be fine on their own, but it does sound like a lot of Grimm is being dealt with" Titan nodded some as Vulcan's hands twitched some. The memories of screaming and running flooding back into his mind swiftly and quickly. Ozpin noticing this in his scroll as Vulcan's breath became heavy and he sweated for only a moment.

"Wait!" Vulcan shouted, grabbing the undivided and surprised attention of his new comrades. After a moment of awkward silence, Vulcan soon spoke up again, "Titan's right. There's a numerous amount of Grimm there…" He held up both fists then, "I know those sounds too well."

"… Uh-huh?" Carmine nodded some as he doesn't seem to be quite following.

"How about we explain it later, Vulcan?" Titan shook his head lightly, but before he could continue, he paused a moment, looking off in a different direction. He stood their silently for a few minutes. "Something's coming."

"What's coming?" Carmine asked, looking alarmed of a second Grimm attack.

"… You heard that crash too, right? Well, I think I heard the screeching of a Nevermore with it," Titan muttered thoughtfully as he pulled out his weapon, "I don't think that Nevermore was alone."

"Eh…?" Carmine blinked some, nervously pulling out his Bowie Revolvers.

"It had a friend," He frowned as they hear the screeching from ahead in the skies, spotting the Nevermore sailing in from above, coming straight toward the battle.

"If that thing gets to the fight, whoever's out there'll be finished!" Vulcan shouted as he holding his hand back to his metal backpack, grabbing a handle that automatically slipped up to greet his grip. He pulled up and the backpack obeyed, forming into mini gun-mode as Vulcan took a firing position, "Grab its attention!" He shouted as he fired a flurry of hellfire at the flying Grimm. The Nevermore noticed the flurry of opposition and maneuvered just barely to avoid it, spotting them immediately. They could plainly see the being was much larger than the average Nevermore as it stopped midair and unleashed a raining torrent of feather projectiles toward them.

The group dodged the incoming barrage save for Titan. The Faunus stood strong as he separated the battleax into two war axes and he slashed them into the ground. Two pillars of earth and ice erupt from the ground, shielding him from the barrage. He looked up as the Nevermore flew around, circling them now, searching for a much easier opportunity. "Bring it down!" Titan shouted as he slashed the pillars in a peculiar manner, manipulating the elements to fly up to the Grimm, narrowly missing the moving target. Titan grunted as he kept at it, forming more pillars to keep slashing earth and ice at the monster.

Carmine gulps as he holds out his revolvers and fires, "Dang it! Dang it!" He shouted in dismay as Vulcan also fired at the monster. Raiden jumped onto his hands, spinning around expertly as his ankle pieces spin to select white Dust and he formed a twister around him that launched ice at the Grimm. Despite their best efforts, their best just wasn't enough. The Nevermore kept maneuvering and flying around their barrage of projectiles.

Vulcan ceased his firing and grunted, stomping a foot onto the ground then, "He's ticking me off!" He shouted, bearing his teeth then.

"We need a better plan to take him down!" Titan declared promptly as he stopped a moment to breathe, and he looked back to Vulcan, "We're just going to wear ourselves out at this rate!"

Carmine frowned a bit as he reloaded his revolvers briskly, "Too bad we can't fly ourselves up there and take 'im up in the clouds!" Vulcan's eyes widen soon at Carmine's sentence, and he soon smirked widely.

Meanwhile, Plamen readies his rocket launcher and looked over to Otieno beside him as he was smirking some. "Ready?" Plamen asked. Otieno nodded to him and Plamen looked back to Audra and Winona, holding up his hand to the side of his mouth to speak louder, "Winona, Hood-girl! Hold tight just a lot longer! We've got this!" He ran forward and jumped up high, firing at the ground beneath him and launched himself up into the air. Otieno remained behind him, waiting for his chance to strike as he held his sword far back behind himself.

Plamen squealed a bit as the large Crawler spotted his assault and his launcher disappeared. Plamen then materialized a grenade launcher now and he fired several grenades onto the damaged carapace which he was heading to. The grenades detonate and Plamen and sent backward toward Otieno's direction. "Batter up!" Plamen exclaimed in cheer as the carapace broke away, exposing a weak spot in the Grimm now. Otieno locked onto Plamen's flight, taking his weapon and slipping a green dust into the handle before squeezing the trigger; slamming it into the earth. A green flash surged brightly, sending Otieno up after Plamen.

Spinning around, Otieno slipped yet another green crystal into his weapon and uses the flat of his weapon to meet Plamen's feet. "Fire!" Paul shouted as yellow lines appear in his hands. Otieno ignited the wind dust and Plamen is flung toward the giant Grimm. The Alpha Crawler lurched its arms back as its mandibles spread out, creating a light from within its body. Plamen smirked and formed a giant dust mining drill around himself and drilled straight into the monster's body. It screeched horribly as it released out its beam of bright light. Winona gasped sharply as Audra tackled her out of the way of the decimating light. The giant screeches in agony as the three huntsman and huntresses run quickly from the event as the body started to crack apart and beams of light spouted forth. Plamen crawled out of the hole he made as quickly as he could, "Nope-nope-nope-nope-nope!" He desperately yelped as he jumped off the being. Before Plamen could hit ground a great explosion occurred; sending everything flying in different directions with black mist engulfing everything.

The Nevermore from above screeched as it focused on this, flying over to scan the surroundings. "Now's our chance!" Vulcan shouted as he pointed forward, firing his Slaughterhouse behind him as his teammates held onto him, everyone clutching onto one another just barely.

"This better work!" Carmine yelped as they blast up the ice ramp Titan built, hanging onto his hat, "I hate heights!"

"Well, that explains it!" Titan shouted over the gunfire as they're in the air, flying toward the giant Grimm. Before the mist could dissipate completely, the Nevermore turned and noticed their approach. In surprise, it screeched and unleashed a flurry of feather spears at them.

"Raiden, now!" Vulcan shouted as they were in the line of fire. Raiden nodded to his friend and jumped forward, spinning around and releasing a flurry of lightning. The feathers burn in the electricity and fall downward. "Titan, grab him!" Vulcan ordered next and Titan reached outward, grabbing Raiden by the arm then as they close in on the Nevermore. Once close enough Vulcan looked back to Carmine, "Now!" Carmine gulped as he took his revolvers and activated their knife form, and he threw them into the bird's eyes. The weapons fly true, sticking deep into the skull and triggering the handles to fold in and the weapons fire. The Grimm lurched back in agony, now losing altitude and sight of them. "Do it!" Vulcan shouted as Titan grunted, throwing Raiden up above in the air. Raiden glided upward with grace and he spun around, smashing his cleats into the Grimm's head to force it downward. "Brace!" Vulcan shouted again as he winced hard, preparing for impact against the Grimm's back.

They smash directly into the monster's back, enough to knock the wind out of the being. Carmine lost his grip and fell away from his team, yelping as he rolls up the sprawling creature's back. "Dang it!" He yelped as he luckily grabbed onto the monster's tail, hollering spastically at the uncontrolled whipping he now endured. Vulcan grabbed a hold of some feathers as did Raiden and Titan. "Wings-wings-wings-wings!" Vulcan said quickly as he shifts his minigun into his chainsaw. Titan quickly stood up as he took his weapon above his head, aiming for the base of the wing as the Nevermore struggled for its flight to level at only a brief moment.

Almost acting in unison, Vulcan and Titan slash through the creature's wings, ripping them off as the monster screeches in agony. Raiden quickly took this chance to run up and grab the squealing Carmine off the Grimm's tail. They fall downward and Raiden landed in the trees safely with a still screaming Carmine. Vulcan turned back to Titan as they held onto the bird's back tightly, seeing ground force coming in fast. "Time to go!" Vulcan said as he let go with Titan just briefly behind him and they allowed the Grimm to fall ahead of them.

Titan grabbed onto Vulcan's jacket as he shifted back to minigun, "Let me finish it off."

"Heh, fine!" Vulcan shrugged as he grabbed Titan's arm, spinning around with him quickly and throws Titan forward, "Off you go!" Titan dived right toward the Grimm, holding out his weapon and he held it far behind him, it shining in a silvery light. Titan loudly grunted as he smashed the weapon against the being, smashing them both into the ground and the light shone brightly for a short moment. Suddenly a pillar of crystals shoot out from the ground and Raiden and Carmine could both see that it encased the Grimm within it. "Whoa…" Carmine gaped slightly as they approached the massive object, "It's huge…"

"Yeah," Raiden nodded some then, "But where's Titan and Vulcan?"

"Up here!" Titan shouted as he's standing on of the many spires and Vulcan sat on another, eating a sandwich happily, "C'mon up. The view's nice from up here." Shortly, Carmine and Raiden climb up and join Vulcan and Titan.

Raiden looked down toward the Grimm incased within the ice and he soon looked back to Titan. "What kind of Dust encases Grimm into crystal like this?"

"Earth and ice," Titan said calmly to him as he holds out his weapon in front of him, showing the dust crystals specially made on the bottom end, "They fuse together quite well."

"I see," Raiden nodded a bit then.

Carmine laughed a bit as he sat beside Vulcan, "Let's agree'ta never do that again, please…"

Vulcan laughed some to Carmine, "Don't worry," He smiled happily to his new friend, "I won't make you… unless the situation called for it."

"Awww…" Carmine groaned some as he facepalmed, "Crap…"

"We've got the artifacts now," Titan said as he held up his white rook piece.

"Yep!" Vulcan said with his mouth full as he held up his and Raiden's white rook piece, "Four more years of this together, eh?"

"Supposing if we all make it in…" Titan said as he looked back to Carmine.

Carmine looked back up to him, confused, "What? What's wrong!?"

"… Let's just say you didn't handle yourself well," Titan muttered some as he put his Atlas Bastion back onto his back then.

"Well, whatever happens, let's just be glad we're still alive," Raiden said, holding up both hands in a reasonable manner and he smiled lightly.

"I agree!" Vulcan happily grinned to Raiden's words and they all hear another voice clearing his throat. They all look over to see Otieno standing on another spire below them, watching them quietly before looking back to the Grimm a moment.

"So, you all took down a Nevermore together, huh? That's pretty nice," Otieno asked, looking up to them calmly, "Too bad I took one down before you on my own."

"Funny you should say that," Titan said as he crossed his arms, "We took this down as a team."

"Yep!" Vulcan jumped up onto his feet, "All four of us!"

"Well, my team took down an Alpha Crawler together," Otieno said calmly as he held up a black rook piece, "And we found a couple of these…"

"… Uh-huh…" Vulcan said, looking at him blankly.

"I guess all that's left is to just… I dunno," Otieno continued as he jumped down to a spire below them, "Is just see who can get back to Beacon first, I guess." A moment of awkward silence passed by and Otieno just shrugged a bit, "Alright, well, see you there." The huntsman jumped down from the spire beside Audra below and they both rush away from the scene. Vulcan and company all look at one another a moment as Vulcan took a determined look on his face, "We're gunning it…"

Later, Glynda and Ozpin both stand silently at Beacon Cliff, looking into the scrolls carefully as they soon hear deep panting from behind them. They both look back to see all eight huntsman and huntresses before them panting heavily and sweating hard from their intense marathon. Otieno and Audra appeared to be the only ones feeling somewhat exhausted as Otieno walked up to them and holds out his piece to them, "Here's my and Audra's artifact."

"Wait!" Vulcan shouted as he rushed up shakily, holding up both artifacts for his friends. He leaned forward a bit, trying to catch his breath as he puts a hand on his knee, "O-Our artifacts, sir…" Ozpin took their pieces, Vulcan fell onto his face, passed out. Glynda and Ozpin only look at each other a moment as Vulcan's friends try to pick him back up quickly to revive him.

The Beacon Ceremony has begun as the audience of students, instructors, parents and friends all sit together and watch as Ozpin introduces the new students of Beacon Academy within the auditorium. "Otieno Anon, Audra Anon, Winona Ava, and Plamen Papaya," Ozpin spoke as the four stood before him side-by-side where the crowd could see, "The four of you retrieved the black rook pieces. Your team will now be known as Team PAOW; lead by: Plamen Papaya." Winona squealed excitedly as she jumped onto Paul, hugging him tightly with her arms and legs from the side, holding him still and causing them to fall over. The crowd laughed at such a thing as Otieno and Audra were forced to drag them away.

"And finally," Ozpin continued as they left, "Carmine Arvelos, Vulcan Goodwitch, Raiden Makos, and Titan Rogers," He spoke calmly as they four stood before him now. Vulcan sweating some awkwardly as Carmine looked back to the crowd nervously, "The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. Your team will be known as Team VCTR," Ozpin said as their photos appeared on the screen above with the letters beneath them, "Lead by: Vulcan Goodwitch." The crowd applauded loudly.

"Eh…!?" Vulcan looked at Ozpin blankly, "Wha…!?"

"Congratulations, Mister Vulcan," Ozpin smiled warmly then, "We're expecting big things from your team."

"Eh…?!" Vulcan looked blank still as he was too baffled to reply.

"We'll do you and everyone in Beacon Academy proud, sir!" Titan said with a small grin and thumbs up to him.

"It would seem that this year will be quite an interesting change of pace," Ozpin muttered to himself thoughtfully under the thunderous applause.


	4. Chapter 4 - First Day

_**VCTR – Chapter 4**_

First Day

As the sun broke through the clouds of dawn, peeking over Beacon and its dormitories. The sunlight passing through the window gently as it crept up to Vulcan in his chair, opening his mouth to eat the handmade sandwich he created in seconds. "You're not supposed to have food up in the dormitory, Vulcan," Titan said to Vulcan as he sat up from bed. Vulcan looked back to Titan in his desk, sandwich in his hands and munching on his bite.

"Mmhm…?" Vulcan blinked a couple times as he's in the middle of bite, "Hawlgh ahn…" He muffled through his food, taking his bite and eating it quickly before gulping, "Sorry… It's just that I'm used to eating an early breakfast, and, uh… heh, breakfast doesn't start until eight, soooo…"

"Vulcan, it's seven in the morning," Titan rolled his eyes as he got out of his bed and walked over to their closet. His sleeping attire being just plain black shorts and a white muscle shirt, "I would've expected you to be sleeping in this morning, especially what happened yesterday." He said, getting himself ready for the day.

"I'm beginning to think that using semblances during a big race is just plain cheating," Vulcan mumbled as he tapped his sandwich against his lips thoughtfully, "Otieno and Audra were way too quick."

"What do you think happened to Plamen?" Titan asked as he put on his student uniform now, "When we saw him on the way back, Winona was practically carrying him."

"Didn't you hear and see an explosion earlier that day too?" Vulcan asked him as he stood up from his chair, having himself covered by a blanket even though he just wore a pair of pants and black undershirt, "I'm pretty sure he was caught in it."

"Hey!" A pillow flew out from one of the beds and smacked Vulcan in the face, "Some of us are tryin'ta sleep here!" Carmine grumbled as he had his face covered with another pillow, growling to himself as he tried to block out the sunlight coming in.

"C'mon now!" Titan said as he grabbed Carmine by the back of his white overall pajamas, "Get up!" He pulled Carmine up above the bed with ease and he flailed about quickly.

"Hey, hey, hey! Lemme go, ya idiot!" Carmine griped angrily, "I'm tryin'ta sleep!"

"Our leader's up, so that means you've gotta get up too," Titan said seriously and looked over to Raiden, who got out of his bed, wearing normal pajamas as he skulked to the closet after putting on his glasses. Vulcan watched this quietly and began to smile lightly, chuckling a bit as he was now in the presence of friends.

They soon hear a knock on their door and their activity halted for a brief moment in complete silence. All staring at the door with wide eyes as they were fearing they had woke up someone else from one of the other dorms. An envelope slides from under the door and they all sigh in relief.

"Must be our test results they promised to give out in the morning," Raiden said as he put on his uniform now.

"Oh, boy!" Vulcan said happily as he grabbed the envelope and held it up with both hands as his sandwich was in his mouth, munching on it happily, "Leht'sh shee hereh," Vulcan muffled through the sandwich as he opened the envelope carefully and pulled out the four pages, "Hereh weh ahre…" He turned back to his comrades and handed them out carefully.

Titan took his page and looked at the results carefully.

"Mmh… I've passed with an A," He looked over to Carmine who sat on his bed, "Carmine?"

"C…" Carmine smiled lightly in a slight disappointment, knowing that C minus is the lowest passable grade here. He soon looked over to Raiden, "Raiden…?"

"A," Raiden smiled happily then as he held up his page.

"Heh, I've got an A, too!" Vulcan happily grinned and soon he looked over to Carmine with a slight expression of regret for saying it aloud so happily, "Ehhhhhh…"

Carmine just sat there a couple moments and nodded a bit.

"It… It's a'ight," He said with a smile, "It's just the first day and I've only jus' begun." He smiled happily to them, full of energy now, "I'm ready'ta do better."

"Alright!" Vulcan cheerfully held up both fists, being pumped as well.

"… What happened to your sandwich?" Titan asked soon as he noticed it was gone suddenly.

"What sandwich?" Vulcan asked before letting loose a powerful belch, "Oh, that one!"

"Well, classes start at nine o'clock," Raiden said as he held up his book carefully from the desk, "Grimm Biology 101, Remnant History, Combat Training 101, and Huntsman Weaponry 101 and so on… Each class being two hours long."

"Two hours!?" Carmine said with wide eyes, "Per class!?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Raiden nodded lightly as he looked up to Carmine from his book and he discovered his friend was on the floor, passed out from the overbearing news.

Titan sighed a bit as he reached out to pick him back up, "Eh, let him sleep…" Vulcan shrugged a bit, "He'll be needing it."

Meanwhile, the newly formed Team PAOW entered the mess hall for breakfast. Otieno and Audra still wore their hoods over their faces, but had to plainly wear their uniforms as the hoods were forced to appear as flowing dull capes behind them. Winona snickered lightly as they were given their food and she looked out into the clusters of student huntsman and huntresses within the long, winding chamber.

"Oh, Plam! Look at all the people here!" She chimed cheerfully as they go, "It's soooo much bigger and different than the food court we have in Signal!" Plamen nodded in an empty response as he's half-awake, having been so sore that it was difficult for him to sleep last night. He was also going through his schedule on his scroll carefully as they walk.

"Hey!" A fellow huntsman walked up to them from a table.

"Aren't you a that new team that took down that Alpha Crawler and cut that Nevermore in half!?" Other huntsmen and huntresses gather around quickly, interested in what they just heard.

In this moment, Vulcan noticed the attention PAOW was getting and he nudged Titan.

"Watch this!" He chuckled in overconfidence as he approached the group a bit proudly, "Ahem!" The students all look back to Vulcan then and an awkward moment of silence passes before one student spoke, "Who are you?" Vulcan became frozen in shock and Titan walked over and grabbed Vulcan by the back of his uniform shiver.

"Nice try, bud," Titan muttered as the crowd resumed their attention to PAOW.

Vulcan is sat with his friends by Titan and blinked a few times, "They just shrugged me off…"

"Don't you think you might be getting a little carried away, Vulcan?" Raiden said as he doesn't notice Carmine dozing off again beside him and Titan having to hold his head up, only failing, "I mean, it's just one Nevermore that we took down. There's plenty of other Grimm."

"Yeah…" Vulcan nodded to Raiden, scratching the top of his head thoughtfully, "I guess I let all of these good things get to me…" He said as he put his metallic backpack beside him in the chair.

"Uh, why do you have that with you?" Raiden asked as he looked at the backpack beside Vulcan.

"Oh?" Vulcan looked at his backpack and looked back to Raiden, "My Slaughterhouse? I like to keep my books in it, heh. And other important stuff I need."

"Like your lunch?" Raiden looked at him slyly.

"Well, when you're late for lunch, you'll be sorry ya didn't bring any in the first place!" Vulcan said proudly to him.

"So, you chose a backpack as your weapon's inactive form, eh?" The ninja shrugged lightly, "Pretty clever idea, I guess."

"Uh… What?" Vulcan muttered in confusion.

"You forged your own weapon, right?" Raiden asked him as he gave him an odd expression.

"… I, well… It's a… hand-me-down." Vulcan said as he looked away to his weapon, "There's no way I would've made something as complicated as this weapon anyway."

"… Who made it then? If you don't mind me asking." Raiden said carefully, seeing that Vulcan may find such information to be sacred. Carmine suddenly gasped as he jolted up, his face covered in cereal and milk as his bowl shook lightly. With wide eyes, Carmine looked around confused.

"Whazzit?! Whaddai miss?!" He said, quickly looking around as many students noticed and began to chuckle and laugh lightly at him.

"You awake now, sleepyhead?" Titan sighed as he threw a napkin into his face.

"Ugh…!" Carmine flailed a bit before cleaning up his face with the napkin, "Aww, dang…" He looked down to his bowl then and frowned, "My cereal…"

Vulcan suddenly held up a sandwich to Carmine, smiling wide.

"Sandwich?"

"Uh…" Titan raised his eyebrow at Vulcan, "You know, he can always get himself seconds."

"You can?" VCTR's leader asked with an interested expression as they hear a familiar and firm female voice clear behind Vulcan, "Eh…?" He looked behind himself, seeing Glynda crossing her arms as she frowned at him firmly. "Oh… H… Good morning, Aunt Glynda."

"Professor Glynda," She huffed at him lightly and eyed at his sandwich, "Where did you get that sandwich?"

Thinking fast, Vulcan quickly stuffed his mouth with the food.

"Whahteh shandvich…?" He muffled an awkward chuckle as his friends all stared at him in shock. Glynda's firm expression quickly shifted into a glare as she quickly opened Vulcan's backpack, pulling out the many sandwich condiments onto the table and she scowled at him.

"Vulcan Goodwitch! Bringing food into the campus grounds without permission!" She barked at him suddenly, many students trying to turn away their attention and not watch.

"T… Technically we're in a place where we can eat without worries, right?" Vulcan chuckled a bit awkwardly again.

"… Did you even swallow that…?" Glynda blinked at him, a little baffled on how his sandwich disappeared so quickly.

"Swallow wha-?" Vulcan let out a tremendous belch that consumed all chatter within the room and nearly blew Glynda away. After a moment of awkward silence and staring, Glynda incessantly huffed and raised her riding crop, levitating the condiments up and she promptly rushed off with them. Vulcan reached out quickly, "S-Sorry!" He shouted, gritting his teeth in embarrassment. His only reply was a loud slam of the cafeteria's doors. Vulcan sat back as people began to speak again quietly, and he looked down. Suddenly, he felt the smack of Titan's big hand against the back of his head.

"Gah!" He grunted as he looked up to see an irritated Titan.

"What were you thinking?" His comrade huffed at him, trying to not bring any more attention to them now as he whispered, "Glynda could've had us all thrown into corporal punishment for that!"

"S-Sorry! I didn't know what to do…!" Vulcan said quickly as he looked around a moment, beginning to panic.

"Well, next time don't do anything." The large Faunus grunted before standing up with his finished tray, "I'm heading to class…" He walked off then and Raiden and Carmine followed shortly after. Vulcan sat there until the bell rang for students to start going to class and he reluctantly stood up, sighing a bit to himself.

"I'm not ready for this day."

Later, after several class sessions, Vulcan comes into the last class for the day, entering a large classroom chamber where the room was flat and wide, leaving room for equipment hanging from the walls. There were other chambers linked to it with machinery for smelting and crafting steel and metals. The doors all were labeled with caution and a list of rules written on them on how to maintain equipment and operate machinery. The classroom was standard with a huge drawing board at the front where everyone faced and a desk before it, facing them.

Vulcan could see a man sitting at the desk, legs onto the table and leaning far back onto his chair. His hair appeared to be silvery and long, tied back into a ponytail as he distributed a silver goatee. His attire appeared to be more casual than the other professors, and cobalt button up shirt opened lazily to reveal his gray shirt of a rock band unfamiliar to Vulcan. His pants were dark gray cargo pants and everyone could plainly see his tennis shoes being cobalt. He was an obvious contradiction of the other professors, readjusting his glasses as he looked at the other students walking into the room.

"Mmh…" Vulcan looked around, spotting his comrades as he walked over, smiling lightly to Raiden then, "Hey… Mind if I sit here?" He asked as he pulled out the chair beside Raiden.

Raiden looked up to him and shook his head.

"I don't mind."

"Thanks," Vulcan said as he felt relieved.

The professor soon cleared his throat, grabbing their attention quickly.

"Ahem." He stood up quietly, "Good afternoon, class." He said with a calm and laid back voice, seeming to reflect such a voice himself as he picked up his chalk and wrote on the board, "I am Professor Cobalt." He sat down on his chair after he wrote his name on the board and resumed his lazy position, "But you may call me Cobalt. Any questions?"

"Uh, yeah?" A random student raised his hand then, "Professor Cobalt, I—"

"You," The professor pointed at the student, then to the door, "Out." A long moment of chilling silence shot through as the professor did not at all seem to be joking as he gave a look of expecting the student to move soon, "You'll see me after class." Cobalt said and the student shakily walked out of the room with his supplies. The class continued the shocked silence as the professor scanned the room.

"No further questions, alright." He stood up soon as he picked up his chalk, "This is Huntsman Weaponry 101." He wrote onto the board as he spoke, "Everything you've learned from your basic combat schools will be tested here. But why weaponry you may ask?" He sounded almost mystical a moment as he turned to them, "Let me answer your question with a question: what is a huntsman and huntress' weapon?" Titan was the first to raise his hand, "Titan?"

"Tools we use to defend the people," He said with a calm look as he lowered his hand.

"Not quite," Cobalt shook his head lightly, looking over to Plamen, and pointing at him, "Plamen?"

"Weapons we use to defeat Grimm," Plamen answered, almost sounding unsure of his answer.

"Yes, but no." He pointed over to Raiden soon, "Perhaps you would know?"

"Uhm…" Raiden thought for a few moments before speaking, "They're the creations we use to protect the ones we love."

"Almost…" Cobalt shook his head and looked around, seeing no one having an answer, "Tough crowd." He chuckled before readjusting his glasses a bit, sitting down, "Well, simply put, a huntsman's weapon is indeed a tool for defending, and it is a weapon for fighting, but it is above all an extension of ourselves." Cobalt smirked as he spotted their many thought provoked expressions, "You all understand how Aura is the embodiment of one's soul and life, correct? It contains the essence to defend ourselves from fatal injuries or wounds, and it allows us all to use a semblance that is unique to our being." He said, gesturing his hands to his chest then as the professor spoke, "Now, on that note, our weapons are actually conduits to support that Aura and use it in battle. If we use the incorrect weapons, what do you think would be the end result?"

"A student wouldn't be able to go into combat in their full potential," Otieno replied as he crossed his arms.

"Exactly," Cobalt said, holding up a finger, "Every huntsman can craft and forge weapons in any way they wished, but you may recall that your weapons would need to be analyzed and tested before you could actually use them in real combat. In this case as well, not every huntsman is the best in combat. The weapons he or she may be using could be in contrast with their Aura and Semblance and create an imbalance to their battle style. Hence why many students in those combats schools find trouble with their first few weapons because they wouldn't match who they are. I'm sure many of you here know the feeling of being frustrated with your first few weapons, but now you are much wiser on what to craft for yourselves."

"Cobalt," Vulcan soon raised his hand, shakily, "What about… hand-me-downs?"

"I was about to get to that part," Cobalt nodded to him, smiling lightly, "There are actually the rare cases of huntsman who use weapons passed down from relatives or friends that would match their auras quite well. This is rare though, so if you have a hand-me-down you're having trouble with, this may be your only chance this year to change to a different weapon or slightly enhance what you have." He lightly nodded as the other students looked at each other, quietly muttering, "Yeah but where am I going with this? In this class, I'm going to teach you how to identify a huntsman's battle style through what weapons they use. That said, each weapon you have defines you, class." Cobalt said calmly, "Your first assignment this week is going to be simple," he continued, "You will write a short essay to me about your weapons and how they define you as a huntsman personally. You must also explain why they fit your Aura and Semblance." He nodded lightly as the class began to speak to one another again in interest, "Since today is a short day and us professors may not have much to say, I can let you all out early, but remember that my class may be laid back, but I don't take bullcrap." He sat down and airily waved his hand, "Class dismissed."

The students all quickly stood up and grabbed their essentials before heading out the door, Vulcan looked down to his mechanized backpack thoughtfully.

Raiden noticed this and looked over to him, "What is it, Vulcan?"

"Oh…?" Vulcan looked back to him, hesitating a moment, "N… nothing…"

"Alright…" Raiden nodded and skeptically tilted his head, "Titan and Carmine are talking about heading to the Mountain Glenn district in Vale. You coming?"

"… Maybe next time," Vulcan said quietly as he kept walking, looking thoughtful as he goes.

"Uh…?" Raiden blinked as Titan and Carmine walked over to him.

"What'd he say, pardner?" Carmine asked as he watched Vulcan walk off.

"Maybe next time," Raiden muttered as he crossed him arms, "So, uh… what do you think is his problem?"

"I don't know…" Titan frowned a bit, walking around Raiden and followed Vulcan, "But I'm about to find out…"


	5. Chapter 5 - Teeth of the Past

_**VCTR – Chapter 5**_

Teeth of the Past

Glynda blinked as she looked at her notes in her Scroll carefully, shifting through them in deep thought as she sat at her desk.

"Bruce Terra was late today… Not a good first impression, and—," her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an unwelcome intrusion.

"Aunt Glynda!" Vulcan shouted loudly as he swung the doors open, making a loud booming sound as he came in.

"Professor…" The instructor growled at him as her attention is ripped from her scroll, "What do you need, Mister Vulcan?"

"Mmh…" Vulcan stopped a moment at Glynda's intimidating response and he gulped, "Sorry, but… I need to talk to you…"

"Where is your team?" Glynda asked as Vulcan soon walked up to her desk.

"They probably left to visit Vale a bit today…" Vulcan mumbled as he scratched the back of his head.

"Vale? So soon on the first day?" Glynda looked at him oddly, "Don't you have assignments on the first day?"

"Actually…" Vulcan said quietly as the door opened slightly, Titan watched them from the hall, "…that was what I came to you for… It's about Cobalt's essay."

"Cobalt's essay?" Glynda nodded as she stood up.

"Yeah," Vulcan quickly nodded to her.

"So, you didn't have an episode…" Glynda asked him quietly as she picked up her riding crop, "Did you?"

"I… don't think so, no…" He shook his head to her, "I… I did kinda panic after I burped on you."

Glynda slowly sighed as she closed her eyes.

"Don't remind me…"

"I'm really sorry about that," Vulcan quietly said, looking away.

"That's not important anymore, but I will check your equipment weekly for food…" She replied as she crossed her arms, "Now, what questions do you have?"

"Well, I…" Vulcan thought a moment as he reached back and swung his machine backpack off, holding it up for Glynda to see, "I need a test."

"An Aura Test, is it?" Glynda asked thoughtfully as she gazed down to the Slaughterhouse in his hands.

"It used to be his before…" Vulcan said quietly, "Well, y'know."

Gylnda only stared at his weapon a few moments before she spoke up.

"We'll begin with a simple elementary exam," she crossed her arms as she walked onto the sparring arena, "Come." Vulcan only made a deep breath and exhaled, keeping himself calm as he followed her.

"Mmh…" Titan watched silently from the hall.

"Curious, aren't you?" Ozpin suddenly spoke as he stood beside Titan, who jumped in surprise.

"Jeez!" he jumped back from Ozpin with high reflexes; soon realizing who he was Titan stood up to attention, "Professor Ozpin, sir!"

"Now, now. There's no need for that, Mr. Rogers," Ozpin said with his composure as he gazed back into the classroom, watching Glynda and Vulcan begin their exam, "I'm here to watch the show as well."

"Uh… What?" Titan asked, blinking awkwardly as he steadily relaxed.

Vulcan's Slaughterhouse shifted about, forming into his bright red chainsaw.

"So, what're the rules?" he asked, smiling to his aunt lightly.

"Simple, Mr. Vulcan," Glynda said calmly, "In a tournament style duel, both fighters must fight to their fullest capabilities without ring out, or having their Auras drain down to the red. Refer to your Scroll."

"Uh, alright…" Vulcan nodded as he pulled out his electronic and opened it up, only to be hailed by many advertisements, "Ah, shoot…" He murmured as he tried to get rid of them all, "Stupid thing…"

"Now, go to your Aura module," Glynda instructed patiently.

"Alright…" Vulcan thoughtfully nodded as he selected the application and he sees the Aura bars appear under the pictures of him and his teammates, "So this is my health bar, eh?"

"Exactly," Glynda nodded to him, "In a tournament style duel, a fighter's Aura level turning red would mean he is unfit for battle and the official can call the match. Now, you understand the rules, Vulcan?"

"Yeh…" Vulcan nodded lightly as he put away his scroll, "Uh…?" He noticed the screen on the wall at the end of the arena activate and reveal their Aura levels.

"This will be a simple match to gauge your skills," Glynda continued as she slipped her Scroll into her pocket, "Are you ready, Vulcan?"

"Yeah," He nodded to her as he lowered his weapon, going into his fighting position and revving the engine a moment.

"The match will begin in three, two, one," Glynda announced aloud and they hear a horn go off. Vulcan rushed forward, letting an outcry at the top of his voice as Glynda stood her ground. Within the moment Vulcan approached her, slashing his chainsaw with its deafening roar, Glynda lifted her crop and neon circles of violet appeared in the air, blocking the slash. Vulcan stepped back from the recoil, flipping his weapon around quickly and he slashed at Glynda swiftly. Each blitzed attack being blocked away by Glynda's steady and calculative techniques. Glynda swiftly flicked her crop, repelling Vulcan back through the arena with a formidable surge.

"Crap!" Vulcan grunted as he burrowed his weapon deep into the floor, leaving a stream of rubble behind. After stopping, he heaved the armament from the floor and shifted his weapon into its Gatling form, firing a hell fury of fiery bullets. Glynda quickly positioned her crop meticulously in the air, casting a large shield of circles to defend herself and she stepped back before lifting her crop again. The rubble on the floor shift and levitate into the air beneath Vulcan and launch. In an instant, Vulcan's eyes turn violet and he ceased his fire, flipping and rolling forward, letting the rocks swipe past him before he rolled on his feet and shifted his weapon into his chainsaw.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed in surprise before rushing toward his opponent.

"What the…?" Titan muttered in surprise as he clearly saw that Vulcan couldn't see the rubble flung toward him at such speed, "Was that his Semblance?"

"Yes, it was," Ozpin lightly nodded to Titan, looking at him with a light smile, "Instinct. Vulcan's most lethal weapon in his arsenal. It's a unique Semblance that activates on its own," he looked back to the battle between Glynda and Vulcan, "It's what's called an Involuntary Semblance. You see, Vulcan's Semblance is like a safety net. When he fails, his Aura will save him by making the choices for him in life-threatening events or things he cannot sense through his five senses."

"Explains how he made his own landing strategy," Titan said thoughtfully before looking back to Ozpin, "So he has a sixth sense, right?"

"Yes, but it doesn't activate as frequently as it should," the headmaster muttered thoughtfully before gazing back to the student, "Come, Mr. Rogers," Ozpin walked away from the room and Titan quietly followed, "I'm certain you're curious of why I've selected Vulcan to be your leader, even with his social awkwardness."

"Well, that wasn't exactly what I was wondering, but…" Titan shrugged a bit as they walked.

Ozpin smirked at Titan as they came up to an elevator.

"Well, I should tell you that what I will explain must not be given to anyone else any circumstances," Ozpin pressed the button on the elevator and looked back Titan as it soon opened, "Understood?"

"Yes, sir," The Faunus nodded to him, taking his words seriously as they step into the elevator.

"Good. Your guardian is a trusted friend of mine, and so I would like to think you would be the same," Ozpin calmly smiled as the doors closed and the elevator ascended.

Meanwhile, Vulcan grunted as Glynda calmly flicked him away again in his repeated full speed approach, and he groaned in annoyance.

"Hey! Isn't that cheating!?" he huffed in irritation, revving his chainsaw again.

"No. You're becoming predictable, Vulcan," The instructor calmly answered as she flicked her crop into the air, casting a light into the ceiling and caused clouds to appear and release shards of ice over Vulcan. He quickly acted, hopping around the ice quickly and slashing spikes from the air swiftly at brief intervals. Glynda flicked up her crop and the floor shifted, opening up and nearly swallowing Vulcan whole, like a fissure. Vulcan grunted hard as he became entrapped by the floor, leaving just his head and arm free. Glynda smirked as the screen began to blink red and they could both hear the beeping.

"Dang it…" Vulcan huffed hard as he struggled to get out of the floor's hold, "Aunt Glynda!"

"Quiet, Vulcan," Glynda crossed her arms, "You have much still to learn."

"Great…" Vulcan frowned a bit as he looked away, "I guess that means my Slaughterhouse and I aren't compatible…"

"That's not necessarily true, Vulcan," his aunt replied as she released him from the floor, restoring things back to where they were slowly, "A weapon's compatibility with a huntsman isn't instant. It's something that takes time to achieve."

"… Wouldn't that just complicate things!?" Vulcan barked, confused as he held up both hands, trying to make sense of it.

"Well, yes and no," Glynda explained, "You see, Vulcan, a huntsman's weapon can only be as strong as his Aura. Your Aura is still active and is quite strong, and you're still compatible with your weapon, but the only thing you must worry about is exercising these things."

"So, I need to focus on my fighting style?" Vulcan tilted his head, "Wouldn't that just be common sense…? Wait. Hold on." He raised a hand, very lost now, "A huntsman's weapon must be as compatible as it can with the huntsman, but wouldn't that be just the same to pick a weapon you're good with using?"

"To non-huntsman it's that simple, but to us, it's not," Glynda shook her head, "Cobalt explained this before, I'm sure. A weapon used by huntsmen is a conduit of their Aura. If a huntsman is using a weapon that is not quite compatible with his soul, his Aura, then he cannot battle to his best potential."

"Then, that would mean that I'm just incompatible with the Slaughterhouse," Vulcan said, frowning lightly, but he received a quick smack on his head.

"You used that weapon for so long and yet you say you aren't compatible?" Glynda frowned hard at him, "It might be true, but what I believe is that the incompatibility doesn't rest with just what your Aura is, but how strong it currently is now."

"… What…?" Vulcan blinked in confusion again.

The elevator doors eventually slide open and Titan and Ozpin are free to walk out from the transport into the large office with gears overhead, clicking and clunking around. Ozpin sat behind his desk soon and rested his cane against the edge.

"Please, sit and stay a while, Mr. Titan," the wise headmaster gestured to a couple chairs in front of him and Titan did so, "Now, did you know there are actually a few students that come to Beacon Academy without entering the many combat schools in Remnant? It's a rare number, but they do appear."

"I never knew…" Titan said, lightly shaking his head, "It never happened for Atlas Academy as far as I know."

"Ah, yes, but this is Vale," Ozpin raised his hand lightly to the windows to where they could see the widespread kingdom in the distance, "It's quite well-known for the diversity and peaceful scenery among other things."

"Good point…" Titan nodded to Ozpin as he looked out to the city, "But I already knew that."

"Now, would you believe me that Vulcan has entered many combat schools before now," Ozpin tilted his head as he held his hands together with his elbows on the table, appearing to study Titan, "But he was expelled in every one."

"… For what?" Titan gave Ozpin a curious look.

"Many other students would get hurt. Vulcan was trying too hard," Ozpin waved a hand lightly back and forth, "Day in and day out, Vulcan would come home to his mother to give her a note from many instructors of his reckless and headstrong behavior."

"And his father?" Titan asked after a moment.

"His father was dead," Ozpin closed his eyes, "He died under a mysterious airship crash in the Emerald Forest. No one can find the cause of such a disaster," Ozpin looked down to his desk a moment before looking into the window, "It was during this time, Vulcan desperately wanted to make his mother proud by becoming a huntsman," he stood up, holding up his coffee as he faced the expansive window, "That's why he was so eager to please and prove his strength. However, his many failures kept grinding against him and his mother, and you can imagine how Vulcan felt to see he was hurting his mother."

"…" Titan frowned lightly as he looked down to the floor.

"Vulcan wasn't alone," Ozpin soon continued, "He found and made many friends who were actually Faunus, which is why I assume you both had become such friends so quickly. You may remind him of them."

"Which is why you're telling me this, I take it," Titan said soon as he looked up to Ozpin.

After a few moments of silence, the headmaster continued.

"Vulcan ran away from home with his friends, thinking he could stop upsetting his mother and run from all of these problems he faced. His friends supported him and wished to leave the place from the prejudice of the public. However, their distraught was not one thing they could leave behind."

"And the Grimm followed…" Titan frowned.

"Yes, as nature takes its course, the Grimm tracked them down in the wilds," Ozpin nodded as he continued, "One by one, Vulcan's friends were picked off in his long nine years of survival."

"Nine years…" Titan looked up to the headmaster in shock, "That'd explain his strange behavior, but how did he survive?"

"Titan, you and I both know that the Faunus have a long history of surviving the wilds with their instincts and skills passed down from their ancestors and so on. Vulcan learned the same from his friends at the age of eleven. I also believe that it was through those years he learned how to use his Semblance for survival, but survival can only tap into so much," Ozpin explained he turned to him, "Those years of survival and burdens of his friend weigh heavily on Vulcan, fueling his hatred for Grimm and his low self-esteem in public. But that's where you come in."

"I see…" Titan nodded thoughtfully.

"You're top class at Atlas combat schools, and you're often the team player," The headmaster walked over to Titan, "Which is why I want you to watch over Vulcan. Be his friend, a mentor, teach him how to exercise his social muscle."

"…" Titan contemplated on this quietly a moment.

"I know you are a person for no-nonsense, but hear me out on this. Vulcan is distressed by a long history of Grimm and self-preservation. When he was found for committing crimes, like vigilante, acting as a huntsman without a certification and a number of collateral damage and property damage, Glynda and I saw that Vulcan was destined for better things than finding hate in the people around him." Ozpin spoke as he sat on the edge of the desk now, "Which is why I wanted to bring him into this school to show him how he can put his talents to a better and much nobler cause than that of his own."

Titan returned his attention to the headmaster, "Well, Vulcan does sound like a Grimm magnet… He must be pretty lost to be in a place like this," he sighed lightly, leaning back on the chair, "I understand, sir," Titan stood up, saluting to him, "I will help Vulcan be the best huntsman in Beacon, sir."

"Not the best huntsman, but the best he can to be himself again. And I expect you to keep this between us," Ozpin said as he smiled, "Some things are too sensitive to just throw around."

"I understand, sir!" Titan lowered his hand and looked at Ozpin, "One question though… why did Vulcan go into crime like that?"

"Some of those crimes were because of a few people picking on Faunus or preventing them from being serviced in their establishment. Let's say Vulcan doesn't take discrimination well, but he has never taken things to an extreme. Most are petty, like firing a rock into a window from some kid's slingshot, and a number of childish things," Ozpin explained to him thoughtfully, "Others were attempts at stopping robberies or assaults," Ozpin smiled as he leaned up on his feet, "Well, you best be on your way."

"I see… And yes, sir," Titan nodded as he walked out of the room and into the elevator, descending back to ground level.

Ozpin sat in his desk, holding his hands together once more in thought as he leaned back in his chair, "Those two will possibly make one of the greatest teams in Beacon…"

"A weapon's compatibility with a huntsman or huntress isn't black and white, Vulcan," Glynda explained to Vulcan as they both had sat down at her desk, "Your Aura is like a muscle. Simply put, if you practice more, the more you will tap into it. Some huntsman or huntresses are naturally talented in Aura and their Semblances, but most find a distinct degree of challenge, which is quite common. A rare few though actually do find it to be the most difficult part of being a huntsman or huntress, but those Auras turn out to be known as the most powerful."

"So, what you're saying is that if I tap further into my Aura, the more powerful my Semblance can become?" Vulcan asked as he was focused on everything she said.

"Of course," Glynda nodded to him, "But that Aura can also tap into abilities you can use with your weapons you may not have known was possible. See, Vulcan, your Semblance and Slaughterhouse are both unique. The stronger your Aura is, the power of both will increase to match."

"And the more capable I become," Vulcan nodded in thought, "Can't we just call it synchronized or something?"

"Mmh…" Glynda sighed lightly, "There are some people who call it Attuning."

"… I guess I like Attuning better," Vulcan shrugged, "So, how can I strengthen my Aura?"

"Starting this weekend, I will teach you how to harness and exercise your Aura, and become stronger," Glynda said calmly, pushing up her glasses as she looked down to her Scroll, "I have the necessary schedule."

"Eh-heh…" Vulcan smiled lightly, "I need the essay done by Friday…"

"Then, tomorrow after dinner, we begin," Glynda nodded, "Perhaps by then we'll find the necessary information for your essay answer."

"Great!" He stood up, grabbing his Slaughterhouse before walking off, "See you tomorrow then!"

"Goodbye, Mr. Vulcan," Glynda waved to him as he exited out the door. She gave a light smile soon as she looked down to her Scroll, "… He's much like his father…"


	6. Chapter 6 - the Wrong Foot

_**VCTR – Chapter 6**_

The Wrong Foot

As the clouds drift softly across the great blue sky over Vale, the soft breeze passed through the supposedly content members of PAOW. Winona being the most obvious in her feelings as she skipped ahead of her comrades on the sidewalk, humming a bright and cheery melody. Plamen smiled as he scanned their surroundings in the busy square of Vale.

"Where's the nearest Merlot store at?" Plamen muttered as they walk.

Winona gasped excitedly as she turned to Plamen with a spin of her heel.

"I heard there was a new store that opened up in the Mountain Glenn District just a few weeks ago!" She giggled cutely, "We should go check it out."

"We'll separate and go our own ways," Otieno muttered as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his gray robe. He exchanges a look with Audra very briefly before looking back to Plamen and Winona, "We've got our own plans."

"Uh…" Plamen blinked a couple times, "Well, lemme give you our Scroll numbers so we don't get lost."

"Fine," Otieno shook his head as he pulled out his Scroll, "We'll help you."

Winona giggled a bit as Plamen frowned at him lightly.

"Whatever…" he shrugged as they exchanged numbers, "We need to come back to Beacon before nightfall, because curfew, okay?" He smiled a bit, "So don't forget..."

Otieno stared at Plamen almost piercingly.

"There's a clock on your Scroll, Plamen," He said, tilting his head lightly, "You know that, right?"

"Uh, yeah… What human—"

"Ooooooooor Faunus!" Winona interrupted with a cheery chime.

"Or Faunus…" Paul muttered lightly, "What human or Faunus doesn't know that?"

"… Just checking," Otieno mumbled as he and Audra walked around them, "See you at Beacon." The duo of Patch islanders both watched them as they leave, disappearing into the crowds.

"Y'know, whenever I see those two in those big robes, I'd expect people to at least find it suspicious, eh?!" She giggled cutely, "Even Professor Port finds it weird!"

"Yeah, they're a couple of weirdos…" Plamen mumbled a bit as he frowned, turning around and walking off, "Let's go to Mountain Glenn."

"Oh…" Winona blinked a couple times as she noticed how her best friend didn't smile like he normally would, "Kay, kay!" She happily skipped behind him toward the train station.

Meanwhile, Raiden and Carmine both step through the doors of the From Dust Till Dawn, the shelves of the establishment being stocked to the brim.

"Well, maybe they've got the right caliber of Dust bullets, I need, eh?" Carmine chuckled a bit as he walked up the middle-aged and prematurely balding clerk, "So, what'cha got fer Dust ammo?" The man looked at him a moment in thought before he held up a finger and smirked, dashing to the other side of his countertop and flashed back to Carmine, holding up a padded platter of a lengthy selection of ammunition. "Heh, heh!" Carmine grinned a bit as he popped his knuckles, examining each bullet and shell offered with a sparkle in his eyes.

Raiden just rolled his eyes as he walked through the shop, not noticing the gray hoods dangling on the wall hooks. Everything appeared normal for a Dust shop. Bags of assorted Dust all put together meticulously, pipes to unload and fill capsules with dust, and the crystals in the shelves in the back for viewing and purchasing. As Raiden walked to the glass shelves in the back, he noticed a beautiful young woman, her body being full and healthy. Her hair was long and straight, white with black streaks that stretched down past her upper back. She wore a black short sleeve button up under a violet silk vest. Her skirt went down to her knees having white armor on both hips, appearing to be from Atlas. Her boots went up to her knees, black with white armor across her shins and ankles. The lady kept her eyes on the crystals past the glass casing, Raiden noticing her bright violet eyes on the reflection.

After a moment or two, the young huntsman approached the young lady.

"Hello," Raiden greeted her with a smile, "So, uh… You come here often?"

"No," The lady looked back to him with a soft and strangely caring face, "I just came here with my brother. We're restocking for next month."

"Official huntsman and huntress?" Raiden asked, tilting his head lightly.

"No," She shook her head lightly, "We're students at Beacon, like you."

"Uh…" Raiden blinked at her in surprise, "Have we met?"

"Yes, and no, Raiden Makos," the lady only giggled lightly before looking at her Scroll a moment, checking her messages, "Well, that's my brother now." She turned her attention back to Raiden as she quickly snapped her Scroll closed, "I'll see you again at school." She smiled as she walked off through the aisles, going up front.

Raiden gulped lightly as she walked away, blushing softly before turning his attention back to his earlier errand.

"… I should've gotten her name."

Winona and Plamen both step out from the train as soon as the doors opened to the labyrinthine subway in Mountain Glenn.

"Weeeee!" Winona chimed as they walked through the crowds of people to the stairs, "Mountain Glenn! I've always wanted to come here after we heard Vale expanded! It was so close to home!"

"Mmhm…" Plamen nodded as they walk, looking toward the ground as they walk up to the stairs. Winona can see him frowning as he still appeared to be aggravated.

"Well! That's a silly thing for me to say, because Mountain Glenn's actually a place southwest, and not anywhere east where Signal was! A-hee! How silly!" She nodded a little before giggling lightly. Plamen didn't say anything as they exit the subway into the concrete jungles of Mountain Glenn. The city bustling with citizens and tourists all over. The sidewalks were merely overwhelmed by the activity as Winona looked around excitedly, seeing the great fountain with a statue of Vale's insignia.

"Whoa!" The excitable huntress squealed as her fox tail flailed quickly behind her, "This is so huge! Mountain Glenn is amazing!"

"It looks like we're at the square… Ah," Plamen pointed forward as he sees a Merlot Industries Electronics store, "There it is!" He said, walking toward the store soon and Winona followed quickly.

They enter the recent shop, seeing all the merchandise around for sale, new Scrolls, headphones, microphones, recording devices and many other popular technologies. Winona giggled happily as she skipped over to the new Scrolls being exhibited today. She picked up one attached to a lengthy cord and it activated, showing the slick new features on screen.

"Ooooooo!" She grinned as she fiddled with the technology.

Plamen watched Winona a few moments, remembering how they first met in Signal. They were freshman at the age of fourteen and she was naturally always picked on for her fluffy fox tail; for being different. He knew how it felt to be pushed away or abused, having lived from a family in Mistral that abused him as a child. Luckily the authorities found out and he was quickly given to his uncle in Signal. His uncle was fairly strange, but at least he wasn't shady or a complete drunk.

His thoughts were suddenly broken from the door opening behind him nearly smacking his back. Plamen stepped out of the way just in time to turn around and see Vulcan and Titan walk in through the entrance.

"Well, well!" Plamen greeted them both with a smart smirk, "Where have you two been? Skirt chasing?"

"Oh, Plamen!" Vulcan smiled back to another friend and soon became confused at his meaning, "Skirt chasing?"

"He's asking if we've been hunting down girls," Titan explained to him as he laughed a moment, "And, no, we're not."

"Uh… Girl hunting…?" Vulcan stared at Titan a few moments blankly before noticing the magazines and he dashed up to them, "Whoa!" He exclaimed excitedly as he went through them all.

"Uh…" Plamen leaned over to Titan, whispering with a hand over one cheek, "Your leader sheltered much?"

"Yeah, but I could ask the same about your girlfriend over there," Titan smirked as he gestured to Winona, who immediately hooted, raising the new Scroll up high.

"Yes! I win again! High Scoooooooore!" She excitedly chimed before going back into another round on the gaming app she's delightfully discovered.

"… Winona's not my girlfriend…" Plamen grumbled a bit as he looked back to Titan with a light frown, "But, seriously, has Vulcan ever been to a city before?"

"No, Vulcan was pretty sheltered," Titan shook his head as he crossed his arms, "I'm showing him around town, getting him used to life outside of his… comfort zone."

"Uh-huh," The Bright Yellow Huntsman nodded thoughtfully.

"Care to join?" The Faunus asked with a smile, "We'll be here a while anyway. Get back before curfew."

"Well, that's our plan too," Plamen shrugged a bit, "Guess so, heh."

Vulcan zipped back to them with his wide smile.

"Titan, check it!" He held up a magazine with the latest in motorcycles, "Boom!" He opened up the magazine before turning it over to its side and both Titan and Plamen open their eyes wide, Plamen's jaw dropping with a clang.

"Is that… even legal?" Winona suddenly asked as she looked at the long photo too before her best friend covered her flabbergasted face with his hand.

"I know right?" Vulcan chuckled as he looked back into the interesting magazine revealing the sophisticated motorcycle model photo. It was sleek and fiery, having black with yellow and red accents over its powerful exterior shell. The wheels thick and wide with machinery that would shift and turn during activation. It was a beautiful masterpiece. "This is what I'm looking at!"

"Nice pick," Titan smiled as he pointed to the photo, "But do you even know how to ride one?"

"Well, it's like riding a bike, right?" Vulcan laughed as he shrugged a bit, only seeing Titan's dull look of disapproval, "… Right?"

"Wow," Winona giggled as she looked at Vulcan with surprise, "What kind of rock is your rock? Mine's made of granite!" Vulcan groaned a bit in embarrassment as he looked away, facepalming.

In the next day, the illustrious Professor Port began speaking in one of his many engaging lectures in his class, speaking of a story from his not so far away youth as he paced back and forth. PAOW invested much of their energy into paying attention in class; however, Plamen would drift off in sleep in his seat, using his hand to prop his head up carefully. Winona paid complete attention with her face of adorable interest and Otieno paid close attention as well. Audra's attention was taken by her sketching a drawing beside Otieno on her Scroll, having expert sketching skills that even a master artist would find inspiration. Her sketch was a beautiful cherry blossom tree at the edge of a small stream with fish that would swim quickly through the water under a wide bridge one would find in Mistral.

"Mmh…" Plamen groaned lightly before Otieno flicked his ear, jolting him awake, "Ah…?" He sat up completely, blinking a couple times as he looked over to Otieno.

"Pay attention," the hooded huntsman mumbled to him, pointing to Port, "And you might just learn something."

"Don't tell me what to do," Plamen frowned at him, speaking quietly, "I'm the leader. I make calls like that."

"Well, you're not going to be for long if you keep dozing off like that," Otieno replied, giving him a piercing stare from under his hood, "Maybe Winona can teach you a thing or two about paying attention."

"Eh…?!" Winona looked back to them both, confused.

"Well, maybe Audra could tell you a thing or two about keeping your mouth shut," Plamen glared at him as he nearly stood up.

"Ahem!" Professor Port's great orotund voice grabbed their attention and Plamen and Otieno immediately gave him their undivided attention, "Mr. Papaya and Mr. Otieno. Is there something you wish to share with your peers that's so important to talk about during class?"

"No, sir," Plamen shook his head quickly, looking away a bit.

"I see," Professor Port raised his bushy eyebrow up, "You both will see me after class."

"Yes, sir…" Plamen muttered, looking down in embarrassment as Otieno remained stoic.

"Very good," The robust professor turned around to continue his lecture.

Afterward, the classroom was cleared out, save for Plamen and Otieno who both sat at the front row in front of Professor Port. The round professor scanned them consciously a few moments before he spoke out.

"Well? Nothing to say now that there's no else here?" Port raised a hand to them both with a curious look. Neither responded, "Admittedly, I'm not one for disciplinary action, but neither of you are huntsmen to be ignored. Both of you possess skills accustomed to even the most experienced of students here in Beacon but you both bicker like you belong back in Sanctum or Signal. I'm sorry to say such behavior does not at all slide here," The instructor shook his head solemnly, holding up a finger, "It affects you both as huntsman, it affects your friends around you and I can most certainly say it affects you as a team." Port frowned in his seriousness, "Whatever could be on either of your minds, I would like to be the first instructor here in Beacon to implore you both to open up and discuss this disagreement or strife."

Plamen and Otieno look away from Port a moment, silent for a few moments before the leader of PAOW stood up, "Otieno has been disrespectful and hard to work with since we've met!"

"Aha, yes, but even some Huntsmen must understand when they're being played around with!" Port laughed lightly.

"That's not an excuse for him to tick us off!" Plamen groaned a bit as he crossed his arms.

"Mmh… An excellent point, Mr. Papaya," Port gestured to Otieno, "What do you think, Mr. Otieno?"

"I think our leader needs to pay more attention to class than worry about someone else's words," Otieno calmly responded before looking over to Plamen.

"A good point also, but wouldn't you find it hard to work with someone who constantly aggravated you?" Port asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah, I would," The hooded huntsman nodded in agreement, "But I'm not a bully. I've never stuffed Plamen into a rocket locker, thrown his books onto the floor, or get him stuck in the doorway before class."

"Well, Mr. Papaya?" Port looked over to Plamen, curious, "Is this true?"

"… Well, it's not wrong," Plamen grumbled as he sat on his chair, crossing his arms.

"You see, gentlemen," Port held up a finger high, "What we have here is a simple problem! You both got off on the wrong foot! Therefore, I recommend the solution would be you both starting over and meet one another again." Plamen and Otieno looked at each other a moment before looking back to Port, "If you fail to do this, your team might just up being held back a year, or perhaps worse."

Plamen gulped a bit. "What's worse?"

"We'll be kicked out of Beacon," Otieno replied thoughtfully.

"Precisely," Port nodded to them as he held both hands behind his back.

Plamen finally stood up with a deep sigh.

"Fine…" He stepped over to Otieno and held out his hand for a handshake, "Hello there! My name is Plamen, Plamen Papaya," He smiled, pretending they were now meeting, "What's your name?"

Otieno stood up, shaking his hand quietly before speaking a moment.

"Funny. You don't look like a fruit," He cracked a smirk under his hood as Professor Port made a hearty laugh. Plamen frowned a bit at him. "Relax," The hooded huntsman calmly nudged him, "It's a joke. Name's Otieno." He said as he shook his hand, "Now let's go get lunch before classes begin again." He said before hurrying to the door.

Plamen smiled and chuckled lightly.

"Alright," He nodded a bit before he grabbed his Scroll, "Right behind you!"

"Just a moment, Mr. Papaya," Port waved a hand and Plamen turned back to him once Otieno walked out the door, "You realize that even if you are the leader of PAOW, that doesn't mean that you can hold onto that title for long. Especially if your grades struggle."

"I… I understand that," Plamen nodded shakily, "I've been trying hard."

"Mmh, yes, but apparently Mr. Otieno mentioned otherwise," Port muttered as he looked at Plamen seriously, "Like I said, Mr. Plamen. You're an exceptional huntsman. Do not take anything you are given lightly, and do your best to pass these classes. If you don't, then I will be forced to proceed with disciplinary action. Consider this your only warning."

"Y-Yes, Professor Port!" Plamen nodded quickly, seeing that Port's seriousness actually appeared to be quiet intimidating.

"Now! Move along!" Port waved before he turned to his desk to gather his things. Plamen dashed out of the room with a green streak behind him.

Later, Ozpin sat at his desk with his coffee in front of him, wiping his mouth with a napkin as he just finished lunch and the elevator doors open. Cobalt stepped out from inside, walking over to Ozpin with his Scroll in his hands.

"Ozpin," He greeted him calmly, "How was lunch?"

"Just fine. As always, old friend," Ozpin smiled to him, "How is your first week working in Beacon so far?"

"I can't complain," Cobalt shrugged to him as he sat on the chair in front of his desk, "Only a few students have been sent out of my classroom."

"Just exposed to your unorthodox rules, are they?" Ozpin chuckled as he poured a glass of tea for him.

Cobalt took the teacup tenderly and nodded to him.

"Glynda strongly disagrees with my ideas, and Port thinks I'm going soft on the students. Oobleck's actually very intrigued by the change, curious on how I can manage to keep them in line."

"Well, you hardly ever take nonsense," the Headmaster chuckled.

"Yeah. I play by my own rules," the Blue Instructor nodded to him, "Well, I came up here for one other reason, Ozpin."

"I see. What would that be then?" Ozpin looked at his old friend curiously.

"I've gone through Otieno and Audra's records before, but I've found that their address, numbers, and basic information, except their schools and their preferred names have been redacted. Why's that?" Cobalt asked, holding up the Scroll to show this to Ozpin.

"Are you familiar with Mistral's witness protection program?" Ozpin asked as he looked at the Scroll carefully before looking back to his friend.

"What did you do, Ozpin?" Cobalt raised his eyebrow, "Messing with the system again?"

"It's not what I did, Cobalt," Ozpin said before sipping his beverage, "It's what those two have done. Otieno and Audra walk around with painted targets on their backs. They were misguided and made a few… mistakes." Cobalt kept his eyes on Ozpin calmly, listening intently. "Simply put, I pulled a few strings to help them turn their lives around. Lionheart was all too happy to give me a hand."

"I take it they're not here for just that," Cobalt muttered calmly.

"No, they're not," Ozpin shook his head to his old friend, "Unfortunately, that's something I'm not allowed to tell you."

Cobalt stared at Ozpin a moment or two before he stood up, putting the Scroll away.

"Thank you for your time, Ozpin."

"And thank you for stopping by," Ozpin smiled to Cobalt, "You're welcome any time." Cobalt smiled back to Ozpin before the doors shut.


	7. Chapter 7 - Skill Check

_**Chapter 7  
Skill Check**_

A new day began in Beacon Academy with the sounds of battle. Titan and Vulcan were locked in combat on the sparring arena in Glynda's class. The audience of students all watching in silence as many were indecisive on who to cheer for rather than the Instructor's rule of no cheering during combat. Otherwise, the students may distract them.

The battle appeared to be one-sided. Titan's strength was overpowering to Vulcan as he knew where to strike and when, while Vulcan's strategy was meant for charging and rushing his enemy. Ultimately, Vulcan's skill paled in comparison to Titan's experience.

"Rargghh!" Vulcan charged once more, his Slaughterhouse in chainsaw-form below him and to his side as he held it with both hands, readying a serious strike this time. Titan stood his ground with his Atlas Bastion and once Vulcan came close enough, he stepped to the side and batted his opponent away with the flat of the battleax. Vulcan grunted hard and sprawled forward onto the floor.

He coughed and shakily stood up, looking back to see Titan closing their gap within an instant. His weapon ready to deliver further punishment.

"Crap!" Vulcan immediately rolled to the side, revving up his weapon as he kept the blade below his chest. Vulcan lucked out as his sawblade slashed Titan's stomach.

The Faunus grunted hard as he held his stomach and had only stepped back a foot from Vulcan, gritting his teeth. Vulcan could see the aura gauge overhead for Titan deplete drastically.

"I… I got him…!" Vulcan shouted in surprise as Titan grabbed his jacket and threw Vulcan to the other side of the arena, "Gah…!" The Blond Huntsman's bluish-green eyes turn violet and his feet quickly reach the floor gracefully, sliding to a halt. Vulcan looked up to Titan, who was already upon him.

Taking him by surprise, Titan split his weapon in two, becoming war axes, and relentlessly rushed Vulcan. Vulcan yelped in surprise as war axes blurred around him, while his Semblance narrowly guided him from each blow until finally his stomach was met with a powerful kick.

"Guh…!" Vulcan groaned as he fell forward for yet another time. The horn immediately goes off and Titan's composure follows in suit by resuming a calmness. Vulcan panted heavily as the students applauded for Titan's nearly nifty victory.

"C'mon now," Titan said, grabbing Vulcan's arm and helping him up by laying his comrade's arm around his shoulder, "Time for a break." The Faunus looked over to see Glynda walk onto the arena as the lights finally came on.

"Students," she began, pushing her glasses up properly, "As you can see, Vulcan Goodwitch no longer able to fight. Could anyone tell me what went wrong?" she pointed to the first hand in the class, "Yes, Otieno?"

"Titan's battle strategy was to wait for his opponent to strike and make an opening," he answered her calmly, "Vulcan merely kept rushing into his attacks without really thinking. It honestly will just get him killed."

"Precisely," Glynda nodded to Otieno calmly, "Therefore, Mister Vulcan, please adequately rethink your strategy before dropping into old habits," she gazed over to him with a sigh, "Let's not get news about how you got yourself chomped into pieces by a Sobeck, please…"

"We'll go over it in team training later, Miss Goodwitch," Titan nodded to her with a light smile as Vulcan still struggled to catch his breath. Titan just kicked the wind right out of him, which was embarrassing as he could see other students laughing at him while tears of agony dropped from his eyes.

Glynda nodded to them as Titan walked them off quickly to their seats with their team. Carmine just patted Vulcan's back and smiled to him warmly.

"Ya did good, bud," Carmine chuckled happily as tried to be the supportive type for his team.

"Now, let's bring in two students who better understand the necessity of patience," Glynda looked through her Scroll briefly before immediately looking up, "Otieno and Carmine."

"What!?" Carmine yelped as the call made him jump in his seat in shock, "Me!?" he pointed to himself as Otieno was already walking onto the arena: battle ready, "I-I… uhm…"

"Hey, man," Raiden smirked to him, "You've got this. Just remember what you do best, okay? Take it one step at a time. You got this."

"Yeah…" Carmine nodded to his most trusted friend, "I got this… I've got this…" He walked to the arena soon, holding both hands tightly and repeated his words to keep confidence.

"Well, if it's the Little Ursa Who Could," Otieno joked and Carmine laughed immediately.

"Hah! I get it!" he grinned to him, unaffected by Otieno's words.

"Good. At least someone has a sense of humor around here," The Hooded Huntsman smirked.

"Well, I'm glad you both have something to bond over during this fight," Glynda said as she's preparing their match, and stepping off the arena before the lights around go out and Carmine and Otieno are in a large spotlight.

"Hope you're ready for this," Otieno calmly said to Carmine as they stood at opposite ends their area, "I don't understand the concept of mercy."

"Oh… Well, I don't let up either!" Carmine said, standing confident and strong.

"C'mon, Carmine!" Titan cheered for him, clapping his hands, "Let go!" Raiden and Vulcan followed in suit, giving their ally more courage.

"Alright, guys!" he waved to them happily as the numbers counted down, "I won't let y'all down!" He didn't pay attention as the horn went off and Otieno immediately dashed for him, slashing his lance sword at him. Carmine was hit and he was flung into the wall below his friends with loud bang.

"Ouch…" Carmine groaned as the horn went off immediately and lights came on. Ring out. The class all laughed as the loser slowly slid down the wall and onto the floor, groaning in pain. Glynda immediately walked up to the arena.

"That's enough now, everyone! All teams please return to your training areas," she spoke quickly, "Class dismissed," the Instructor walked over to Team VCTR as they all tried to pick Carmine back up, "You will all stay after class," she grumbled at them.

Vulcan chuckled awkwardly as he wiped his eyes and Titan just groaned. Raiden sighed while Carmine just popped his neck lightly.

"Sorry, guys…" He smiled as he looked up to Glynda frowning at them, "a… and sorry, Miss Glynda."

"Apologies will get you nowhere," she pointed to the arena soon, "Step onto the arena." The four teammates all exchanged looks of uncertainty at one another before walking onto the arena finally, standing on the four corners of it while the force shield came up again.

"This match is uncommon, but it is a free-for-all brawl," Glynda continued as she walked around the arena, "You will all fight one another until one is left standing. If your aura is too low, or has depleted completely, you are disqualified. If you have stepped out of the ring, you are disqualified. If the time limit has expired, I will determine the winner."

"Miss Goodwitch, ma'am," Carmine raised his hand, "How is this supposed'ta help us work together better?"

"Excellent question, Carmine," she nodded to him as she walked over to him, "It's not. This is what you would call a Skill Check."

Carmine gulped lightly as his face turned pale.

"Well, I already have tutoring after class hours so I don't have to be here, right?" Vulcan chuckled, shrugging.

"Ah, good," Glynda smiled to him, "That just means I won't have to worry about what I'll be doing after class hours. Less work."

Vulcan stared at Glynda silently.

"Did… it just get cold in here?" Raiden asked quietly.

"Frosty," Titan smirked as he looked at Vulcan who also grew pale.

"Well… at least we've got an hour and a half before the next class…" Vulcan muttered quietly.

"Now, are all prepared?" Glynda asked as she looked at Scroll. The four nodded to her and the countdown began.

The horn went off and Raiden activated his Semblance, disappearing from sight as Vulcan shifted his Slaughterhouse to mini gun mode. He fired off a hell fury of flaming projectiles with a wide spray and swept his weapon slowly across the arena. Titan grunted as he was forced to slash his Bastion onto the floor and create a wall of crystal to protect himself. Carmine dropped to the floor, keeping out of the bullet spray as it swept over him.

"Crap…!" he shouted as Vulcan's firing spree was interrupted by Raiden's stealth attack.

Vulcan jumped back from the invisible kicks from Raiden and shifted his weapon to its second form and revved up its engine. Raiden's attacks were blocked and parried by Vulcan, revealing him as his Semblance can't hold when attacking.

While Vulcan and Raiden were locked in combat, Carmine looked up to find Titan approaching swiftly.

"Holy…!" Carmine yelped as he rolled himself onto his rump quickly and took aim, firing at Titan with his Bowie Revolvers, "Dang, dang, dang…!" he shouted as Titan deflected the bullets with his Atlas Bastion, spinning it around effortlessly and chopping his battleax into the floor. Titan Dust combination summoned wave of crystal to Carmine.

"Ack…!" Carmine scrambled around onto his boots as he held onto his hat to keep it from falling off. He loaded a cylinder with a special dust shell. The accents on one of his revolvers gleamed bright red and he blindly fired, blasting the wave apart. The force of the blast made Carmine skid back.

"There we go!" Titan vaulted forward with the strength of his ax. He rearranged his hands, plummeting his blade downward. Carmine's eyes widened and he quickly reacted, jumping out of the way as Titan's weapon touched down, creating an explosion of crystal that blasted Carmine away further.

"Dang it…!" Carmine yelped as he shifted his weapons to knife form and he dug them into the floor, leaving sparks behind him as he quickly regained composure. He stood up shakily as his feet were just at the edge of the arena. Titan smirked as he pulled his weapon out from the floor and readied himself to perform another crystal wave.

Carmine immediately reacted urgently, firing his revolvers at him as he aimed for his opponent's pressure points below the waist. Titan's body reacting naturally, and he failed to deliver the attack as he was forced to kneel forward. In his moment of reprieve, Carmine stepped forward from the edge and gained from distance from it while reloading his revolvers, rolling the cylinders against his ammo belt, forcing the special Dust ammunition to fall into their slots. He snapped them back into place and took aim.

"Open wide!" Carmine shouted as the accents glowed a silver hue and he fired a bright, blinding flurry of steam dust shells into Titan. Titan took the blast and he was forced to the edge of the arena and he slammed his battle ax onto the ground. Carmine ceased his attack and his cylinders snapped out, dropping the empty dust casings onto the floor. He quickly reloaded while they hear a horn and Titan's status on the screen overhead turned red with an "X" across it.

"Titan is disqualified," Gylnda muttered as she's typing on her Scroll, taking notes as Carmine turned to Vulcan and Raiden locked in close combat.

"Great job, Carmine!" Titan shouted to him as he pointed to him, "Keep that focus!"

"Kay!" Carmine raised a thumbs up to his Faunus friend as his feet got caught in Raiden's ice, "Gah!" he yelped as he tried to pull himself free.

Vulcan meanwhile rushed around Carmine while Raiden followed, parrying Raiden's kicks as he was trying to attack. However, Raiden kept their gap between him closed to a point Vulcan can only step back before attacking. The Ninja threw another kick at Vulcan's side, and Vulcan jumped back from him, but his sleeve was caught by the talons of Raiden's cleats and Raiden pulled back violently, making Vulcan lose his footing a fall forward toward Raiden's second kick from the same cleat. Vulcan grunted as the attack made massive damage to his aura.

"Ack…!" Vulcan grunted as he stumbled back, disoriented, "Crap…" Raiden spun around and roundhouse kicked Vulcan out of the ring. Vulcan flew back with a thud and groaned as he sat up, holding his face when the horn blew again.

"Vulcan is disqualified," Glynda muttered with a frown as she looked at Vulcan a moment and resumed her attention to Carmine and Raiden. Raiden turned to face Carmine who had his guns holstered.

"Looks like a standoff, eh?" Carmine smirked as his hands were over the handles of his revolvers pensively, "Make a move… Just like old times…"

Raiden smirked at him, making his crane stance and he and Carmine stared at one another for a while. Titan stood there with a fist, watching intensely.

"C'mon, Carmine," Vulcan muttered silently as he was rooting for him too.

"Don't," Titan pointed to Vulcan suddenly, "You'll break his focus…"

Vulcan covered his mouth as he nodded. Silence continued to pervade the chamber.

Within a blink of an eye, Raiden activated his semblance. His shadow vanished him within a blink of an eye. However, Carmine's perception had decelerated everything around him. During Raiden's disappearance, Carmine grabbed his revolvers and pulled them out, aiming within only a fraction of Raiden's action, firing at his opponent. Raiden's action was suddenly halted, forcing him to stumble back as he reappeared gradually in Carmine's eyes. Carmine continued firing, unloading his weapons and Raiden stumbled back from the pelting and fell onto his back.

The horn went off and the lights came on.

Titan held up both arms and cheered for Carmine, rushing up and grabbing his friend, shaking him happily as Vulcan followed quickly, also extremely grateful for Carmine.

"That didn't take you long at all!" Titan laughed as he laid his arm around Carmine's shoulders proudly, "Now, why couldn't you do that before though?"

"Uh…" Carmine laughed lightly and awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head while Vulcan helped Raiden up now, "I… guess I had it in me all along, eh?"

"It was quite a spectacle. Your reaction time is close to what I would expect from someone using their Semblance…" Glynda thoughtfully spoke as she looked at his profile, "However, that's not what your transcripts say."

"Then, what is Carmine's Semblance?" Vulcan asked, curious.

"It's Luck!" Carmine chuckled happily, "Good luck too! Well…" he readjusted his hat a moment, "Most of the time… I… I think…" he stood there a moment in thought.

"So mine's Instinct," Vulcan pointed to himself, "Raiden can make himself disappear and Carmine's just lucky…" he looked over to Titan soon, "How come we've never seen your Semblance?"

"You see it all the time," Titan laughed and smiled to them, "I'm just very strong, okay?"

"Oh…? Well, that's… underwhelming…" Vulcan muttered a moment with a dull look.

"Well, that's enough for now," Glynda said as the bell rang soon, "Remember what you've learned today and be sure to incorporate it into your training."

"Yes, ma'am," Titan responded.

"You got it!" Carmine shouted.

"Okay," Raiden muttered.

"Yep," Vulcan nodded happily as they all spoke at once.

"And Mister Carmine," Glynda continued as she gazed to him with a serious look, "I'd expect you to have that kind of skill the next time you're called to a bout. Understand?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Carmine nodded to her quickly, grunting as he couldn't move his feet, "Wait a sec, guys!" he chuckled as he took out his revolver and fired the ice around his boots, freeing him and he walked over to join his friends quickly.

Glynda watched silently a moment as she watched him walk off.

"I can see why Ozpin argued for giving you a 'passing grade,' she muttered quietly as she took notes on her Scroll.

Meanwhile, the library is full of students in the free period today as PAOW spent their time studying more about Huntsman and Huntress weaponry for Cobalt's project. Plamen sat at a table with many duplicates of Winona, each studying and sharing information with one another as her Semblance is duplication.

Otieno and Audra sat at the same table. Otieno scanning the library and noticing students passing Lien to one another in the back corners soon. He frowned lightly as he watched this carefully, seeing them walking out the doors soon.

"Excuse me a moment," Otieno muttered as he stood up soon, looking over to Audra, "I'm heading to the restroom."

"Okay!" The Winonas chime in unison once Otieno left the table. He walked casually through the library, and out the doors, spotting the students all walking to a quiet place as their whispering to one another.

"Quiet!" One student whispered, "You'll get us all caught in a blink of an eye!"

"Yeah! Some say Glynda has the ears of an elephant!" Another warned as they turn the corner and Otieno closed the gap carefully, keeping out of their sight as he listened.

"Good thing she doesn't have the looks to match," They whispered as they walk to the campus grounds outside and walk into the gardens quietly. Otieno kept walking casually as they don't notice him just yet. They soon stop, being near the walls of the school now as mostly everyone was inside.

"Here!" One student said, pulling out a case of Dust from underneath a tree, "Dust from my sources."

"Mmh…" The other students took out the Dust of different varieties and examined them, "Dang, man! You don't these kinds of Dust just anywhere."

"Yeah, some of these are extremely rare!" Another laughed a bit, "And for half the price, dude!"

"That's not all," their seller smirked as he spoke, "So get this. Vytal Festival is coming up soon, right?" he spoke as the others walked in close, "All kindsa Huntsmen and Huntresses will be there, right?" they all nodded to him, "I can getcha state-of-the-art, never-before-seen parts to upgrade your weapons! Eh? Sounds good, right!? But it'll cost ya, mmmm… I'd say twice as much as this Dust, buds. But believe me, these things costs millions on the black market alone. Imagine how much they would sell on the official market, eh? Trust me. You won't find deals like this anywhere else, heh!"

The students all nod to one another and talk while Otieno walked away quietly, frowning hard as he returned to the library soon. He knew exactly what was going on now. Illegal Dust from the black market sold to students to get in edge in class. It's been happening since the beginning of the week. It's like this academy was hit with the underground trade much earlier. This kind of information should go straight to Ozpin, but Otieno has a different idea of what to do now with this information. He had his suspicions about this illegal merchant's "sources." The rest of his team shouldn't be involved, but Audra must know.

Otieno soon sat down at the table as Winona was looking for more books and her duplicates were gone. Audra looked at him and patted his back calmly.

"Welcome back, Otieno," Plamen said as he yawned, closing his book, "This is just the best part of Beacon…" he said sarcastically.

"Yeah," Otieno nodded to him, opening a book soon to read. Not saying much to Plamen.

"Mmh…" Plamen soon leaned back on his chair a moment before he heard a yelp and he immediately looked over to see some jock tugging on Winona's tail.

"I knew it wasn't fake!" the bully laughed as Winona tried to pull her tail from his grasp, "Where's the little fox goin', huh?" he mocked her as he pulled her again.

"Stop it!" she yelped as she struggled to escape, "That hurts!"

"Hey!" Plamen immediately shot up to his feet and got up to the taller Huntsman's face, "Leave Winona alone! Let her go, you jerk!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" the bully smirked at him as he held up both hands, "What can I say? I'm a man of good tastes," he winked at Winona. She looked away quickly, shaking as she held her tail closely.

"How 'bout you get lost?" Plamen said, raising a fist lightly, stepping closer.

"Oh, yeah? You and what army, Four Eyes?" the bully mocked him and Otieno stepped between them, glaring at him coldly, "Oh, if it isn't Hansel! Where's Gretel, eh?" he laughed at him.

"Oh, so, if I'm Hansel, then you must be Jack because you seemed to have broken your crown," Otieno retorted without a second thought, "So where's Jill? Did she leave you after you broke your crown or after you started chasing tail?"

"Why you…!" the bully just huffed a moment, unable to reply as his face grew bright red, "Th… This isn't over yet!" he shouted, pointing at him as he trudged off quickly. Plamen looked back to Otieno, genuinely grateful.

"Hey, thanks, man…" Plamen said as he smiled, "That was really cool of you to stand up for Winona and me…"

"What're teams for?" Otieno shrugged as he walked back to his table soon, sitting by Audra, "I had to do something… or else Audra would've done something…" he looked back to him, "and we all know how she doesn't like to talk."

"Thank you so much!" Winona giggled as she hugged Otieno for a brief a moment, "I'm so glad we're a team! You two are just awesome!"

Audra smiled lightly and nodded to Winona, who just suddenly gasped.

"I know! This weekend! We'll have a girl's night out and you two should have a guy's night out!" Winona squealed excitedly suddenly, "It'll be perfect! We'll grow closer together as a team!"

Plamen shrugged a moment and nodded to Winona.

"I honestly think that's a great idea," Plamen smiled and looked over to Otieno, "What do you think, Otieno?"

"Don't hug me at the end of it," Otieno pointed at Plamen a moment.

Plamen and Winona laughed as Audra smiled warmly.


	8. Chapter 8 - Training Session

_**Chapter 8  
Training Session**_

The Training Grounds were busy today as Glynda walked around the arenas with Ozpin, holding her Scroll out as they watched the many first year students train together intensely. The pair had stopped soon, watching Team VCTR stand at their concrete arena together.

"Well, it would seem your nephew's team is up to something interesting this time," Ozpin muttered to Glynda with a smile.

"They've been always up to something different each day," Glynda grumbled a bit, "I give them specific assignments, but Vulcan continues to simply change their assignments. It's like everything I just said just flies over his head and they do something completely different before doing what I told everyone else…"

"Well, do they ever do what you've assigned them correctly?" the Headmaster tilted his head to her soon and Glynda sighed slowly.

"Ironically…" the Instructor grumbled a bit as she looked away a moment.

"Well, let's watch and see what Vulcan's creativity has in store for us today," Ozpin smiled warmly as they turn their attention to the four huntsmen.

"Alright, boys!" Vulcan grinned as he rubbed his hands together with a grin, "We all know our parts, right?"

"Two on two!" Carmine chuckled a bit, pointing at Raiden and himself, "The Kung-Fu Cowboy versus…"

"The Volcanic Alloy," Titan smirked as he patted Vulcan's back, "Let's keep it short, okay? Glynda's assignment's still our priority."

"Right!" Vulcan nodded to Titan as he pointed to Carmine and Raiden, "Gentlemen! Take your places!" They four separate to the sides of the arena and Vulcan pointed to Titan and his opponents.

"Are you ready to lose, boys!?" he shouted confidently.

"Isn't take our line?" Raiden asked, crossing his arms as Carmine chuckled.

"It won't be for long after we pummel you into the concrete," Titan grinned as he smacked his fists together confidently.

"My, gosh…!" Vulcan laughed, excited, "It's my first trash talking fight!"

"Vulcan, focus…" Titan mumbled a moment with a dull expression.

"Oh! Uh…" Vulcan thought quickly a moment as this was mostly an exercise in Vulcan's confidence, "Yeah! And… you'll have to rethink your stereotypical name while you're groveling!"

"You came up with the name!" Carmine pointed at him suddenly.

"Too much talking, guys…" Titan smirked as he held up his battleax soon, "It's time to put your money where your mouth is!"

"Same to you!" Carmine smirked as he meticulously hovered his hands over his revolvers. Raiden took position as if he was readying himself for an Olympic race. Vulcan nodded as he took up his Slaughterhouse and shifted it into his chainsaw sword, holding it with both hands this time as he took position a couple feet beside Titan.

"Get ready…" Vulcan muttered soon, "Get set…" the four keep their eyes on one another in intense focus, "… Go!"

Raiden bolted. Carmine let loose on his patented quick draw barrage. Vulcan rushed forward, revving his chainsaw, deflecting Carmine's shells. Raiden swooped over to Vulcan and dropkicked. He missed his mark by a hair.

He landed gracefully as his Talon Cleats dug into concrete. Raiden faced Vulcan. However, he sensed a new challenger.

The Faunus stomped behind Raiden. Then chopping his Atlas Bastion downward and struck the concrete, creating a crater. Raiden threw a straight kick behind him. Titan stepped forward quickly. Raiden missed Titan. The Faunus grunted and violently upheaved the ax from the ground. A cluster of crystalline spikes exploded from underneath. Raiden embedded his cleats into the crystal.

He looked back to Titan with a frown as he was forced to hold himself up with the splits.

"Heh…" Titan chuckled as he prepared a horizontal swing. Raiden bounded away, backflipping through the bevy of crystal shards. Raiden landed on his feet. He rushed around Titan swiftly. Titan smirked as he split his Atlas Bastion into his war axes. He followed Raiden's movements meticulously.

Meanwhile, Vulcan closed the gap between him and Carmine. He slashed his chainsaw with the thunderous roaring of his engine.

Carmine shifted a revolver to knife form. He parried his attack. Then fired at Vulcan. Vulcan swiftly flipped his weapon, deflected the bullet with his chainsaw. He thrusted at Carmine.

Carmine pushed the teeth away with his knife. He swung his revolver around and aimed at Vulcan's head. He yelped. Vulcan's eyes shifted to violet and he tilted his head to the side.

Carmine missed completely.

Vulcan pivoted around on his heel. He swept his opponent off his feet with a swift low kick. Carmine fell onto his back. Vulcan slashed downward onto Carmine. The Cowboy Huntsman yelped and blocked his attack with both knives. The teeth of Vulcan's weapon sparked against Carmine's knives and heated up, beginning to ignite into flames.

"Hot…! Hot, hot, hot, hot…!" Carmine shouted quickly, and pushed the blade to his side.

Vulcan's stance broke.

Carmine scrambled onto his feet. Slaughterhouse's blade simmered down against the pavement. He slashed at Vulcan while he was down, alternating his blades to revolvers. He pelted Vulcan away.

Vulcan grunted. He struggled to get out of Carmine's rush of attacks. He looked back to Carmine as soon as the cowboy made distance to reload. Vulcan frowned at him hard once he stood back up.

"Lemme show you how to really keep your foes down!" Vulcan shouted. He shifted the Slaughterhouse to mini gun form, quickly rotated the barrels and took aim. Carmine gulped as he finished reloading.

"You should be running," Vulcan chuckled with a grin. He released the hell storm at Carmine.

Carmine sprinted away from the barrage as fast as he could.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap…!" Carmine shouted in dismay. He aimed his Bowie Revolvers at Vulcan. He fired homing shells now. Vulcan ducked from the first few projectiles. However, struck by a couple more. He took another as he ceased fire. He shifted his weapon back to chainsaw form. The other projectiles curved around and returned to him. Vulcan deflected and blocked the homing shells. Carmine didn't relent. He continued to fire while alternating revolvers, reloading with specialized Dust into one revolver and unloading with the other.

"C'mon, c'mon…!" Carmine whined as he persisted.

Meanwhile, Raiden raced circles around Titan. Titan merely casually strolled. He flipped the war axes in his hands. Raiden finally flashed toward Titan. He sent a kick at his head. The Faunus blocked the incoming attack with both blades.

A shockwave reverberated around them. Titan smirked at Raiden as he expected this. Raiden frowned. He pulled his cleat back. Raiden threw another kick at Titan's stomach. The Faunus parried his kick. He swung at his opponent with both war axes now.

Raiden's footing held strong. Titan's parry almost threw him off. He used the momentum. Then parried Titan's slash. Raiden plummeted his cleat down for a chopping kick. Titan blocked the attack with both axes. Raiden quickly flip kicked with his other leg. The attack his dead center into Titan.

The Faunus flipped backward in the air, gritting his teeth. Titan somersaulted and landed on his hands and knees. He frowned at the ungraceful landing. Then took both war axes and looked up to his opponent. The Ninja landed into a crouch and looked up to see Titan.

The Faunus slashed and chopped at the ground. Clusters and pillars of earth and ice rushed at his opponent. Raiden smirked as the dials spun around in his Talon Cleats, selecting one the blue Dust and the other the white Dust. The accents gleamed brightly as the ice wave came first.

Raiden slid his left leg back with the blue accents and arms out calmly. The wave came in close. Then he spin kicked with his left leg. The ice melted into water. It splashed into the earth wave following behind. He followed through with a second kick from his right leg. The water solidified into ice. The wave of earth shatter. He repeated this technique.

The waves of ice grew.

The Faunus halted. His attacks were foolish. He combined his weapons into battleax form. Raiden commenced revolving in place, using his hands to balance himself as he kicked around in circles; similar to break dance. The ice bent to his will into a great ring around him.

"Ah, jeez," Titan frowned. He flipped his Atlas Bastion around. The Ninja suddenly rushed up his pillars of ice. They followed him. Raiden rushed around Titan in the air. The Faunus eventually became surrounded by ice.

"Mmh…" Titan frowned hard. He flipped his heavy weapon down. He struck the head into the ground. Crystals formed around its wielder's body into a protective shield. Raiden retained his ice pillar coiling upward. He rose it to its pinnacle. Raiden dropped over Titan. He spun around and kicked. The ice reacted like a snake. It struck its malformed head into Titan's crystalline shield. Ice exploded everywhere. Carmine and Vulcan are caught by the force of the blast. Their fight ceased a moment as they lost balance. Raiden somersaulted around and landed onto the ground. He looked up to see the effects of his work.

An explosion of crystal flushed the remnants of ice away. Raiden covered his face from the shards of ice and crystal. He looked up to see Titan plummeting toward him. Raiden's eyes widened as it was too late.

Titan slammed.

Raiden sprawled out of the ring past Glynda and Ozpin. He rolled onto the dirt while Glynda and Ozpin watched.

"Knock out," Ozpin muttered. He sipped his coffee while there was now an audience of students spectating the fight. Raiden groaned as he attempted to hoist himself up. He faltered, remaining on the ground to rest.

"They're making quite a spectacle already," Ozpin smirked as he watched and Glynda huffed heavily. She kept her calm and professional composure with Ozpin as she frowned hard and impatiently.

Titan turned back to Vulcan and Carmine. He pointed at Carmine, smirking. The Faunus slammed the ground. There was a mighty rumble. The ground beneath Carmine ruptured. He was sent into the air.

"Gah…!" Carmine yelped.

"Vulcan, now!" Titan shouted to his ally.

"Right!" Vulcan smirked. He scrambled onto his feet. Then dashed underneath Carmine, "Batter up, boi!" he chuckled. He slashed Carmine off the arena.

"Argh…!" Carmine grunted as he slid across the concrete on his back and careened into a tree. His upper body caught inside the hollow as his legs awkwardly dangled for everyone to see. The students all begin to laugh as Glynda sighed.

"That's quite enough now, everyone," she quickly spoke as she turned to the crowds, "I hope you all have finished your assignments!" The students all calm down and minded their own businesses finally. Ozpin smiled warmly as he walked over to Team VCTR.

Vulcan chuckled as he looked at Carmine, "A bit too hard, huh?" he smirked as Titan and he walked over to him. Vulcan grabbed his legs, "C'mon now!" he shouted, pulling Carmine with a grunt before his face is met by a stern kick, "Gah!" Vulcan stumbled back onto his rump.

"That freakin' hurt!" Carmine grunted as he squirmed inside the tree, "an' hangin' out isn't my favorite thin'ta do! Gimme outta here!"

"Alright, alright," Titan said as he looked at Carmine a moment, "I got it," he grabbed his feet, lifted his legs up so Carmine wouldn't get caught in the tree and pulled. Carmine's body slipped out with ease and he found himself dangling upside down.

"Whoa!" Carmine laughed as his hat dropped. He caught it quickly, "Thanks a bunch!" he chuckled. Titan let him go and he flipped over onto his feet, picking up and holstering his revolvers.

"Well, you're resourceful!" Vulcan chuckled as he held out a sandwich to Carmine, "Sandwich?"

"Oh!" Carmine quickly grabbed the food and munched on it, "Om nom nom!" Titan gave Vulcan a light frown and his friend just chuckled to him.

"Food outside the mess hall, mmh?" Ozpin smiled as he stood in front of them with both hands on his cane, "Careful. Glynda may just have to confiscate your belongings again, Mister Vulcan."

"Heh, heh!" Vulcan nodded to Ozpin with a warm smile, "I've been extra cautious with how I make my sandwiches!"

"Oh?" Ozpin smirked as he raised an eyebrow, "Well, I hope you'll keep that up quietly," he continued to speak as he gestured for them to follow to Raiden, who was resting on their stone bench, "I must say though. The battle you all just performed was quite exhilarating. Almost as if it was a match from the Vytal Festival…" the Headmaster turned to them with a thoughtful gaze while Raiden sat up, "Wouldn't you say, Vulcan?" Carmine meanwhile sat with his friend, patting his back encouragingly.

Vulcan just stood there, flustered as he blinked a couple times. He opened his mouth, breathing in a moment as Ozpin caught his clever rouse.

"As I thought," Ozpin chuckled calmly, "Not to worry now. All of my students go to the Vytal Festival together and I'm certain you're all aware that Mistral is holding the current one. It's quite exciting really, there's many fond memories I have of Haven. I'm certain you'd all enjoy that trip as well."

"But that isn't until next semester," Titan held up a hand as he spoke and made a fist, "So we'll be ready at that time."

Carmine nodded eagerly and chuckled.

"And all students have a choice to qualify for the tournament," Ozpin smiled as he pointed to Titan, "With an athlete winning almost every tournament in Remnant, I'm certain entering the Vytal Festival Tournament would be the most important tournament yet," he leaned in soon and whispered to them, "And just between you all and I, I believe you'd be a crowd favorite in that tournament. Win or lose."

"Heh," Titan shook his head as he held up a hand to Ozpin with confidence, "I wouldn't worry too much. I'm there purely for the sport, not for fame or the rewards."

"The rewards are still amazin' though," Carmine chuckled as he looked up to them, "Jus' think! A huge golden trophy jus'ta hold around in our dorm! We'd be one of the few First Years'ta win the Vytal Festival!"

Raiden silently listened to their conversation meanwhile.

"Mmh…" Vulcan shrugged a bit, "The trophy sounds exciting… I guess. I just wanted to go to Mistral! Not just the Vytal Festival," he laughed lightly to them, "Still the Vytal Festival would be nice still! Might be more exciting!"

"We're still entering the tournament though," Titan said with a light frown to his leader.

"Absolutely!" Vulcan awkwardly chuckled, sweating lightly as he looked around quickly.

"I see," Ozpin smiled as he nodded, took a sip from his coffee and turned to Raiden and Carmine soon, "I hope you all have a wonderful day."

"Thanks, Mister Ozpin!" Carmine chuckled and waved to him before looking back to Raiden, "Frost Serpent Technique, eh? That was awesome!"

"I may be from Atlas but that was just too cold for me," Titan chuckled as he held up a fistbump to Raiden who obliged him.

"We still have time to finish that assignments on knowing team weaknesses, right?" Raiden curiously asked Vulcan.

"R-Right!" Vulcan chuckled awkwardly.

Ozpin continued inside his establishment, smiling as he was going through his Scroll before he heard a familiar old voice.

"Oooozpiiin!" an older and almost sinister voice greeted him from down the hall.

"Doctor Merlot," Ozpin realized as he looked over to see the CEO of Merlot Industries approach him with open arms, "Last I checked, old friend, this school year started four days ago."

"Ah, come now!" Merlot smiled to him through his gruff mustache. Merlot was a middle-aged man and his hair had already grayed out and recently receded. The labcoat around him had just became his business suit as well, stretching down to his knees as he wore black pants and brown dress shoes. Ozpin could clearly see the nametag on his labcoat was upside down and he just chuckled.

"Forgetting to make sure your nametag is upright this morning?" the Headmaster smirked to his old friend.

"Ah!" Merlot looked down and quickly fixed it, "Damn thing just flips around on its own sometimes… I swear these things are just possessed by Geist at times!"

Ozpin chuckled, "It's good to see you again, Merlot. How goes your company's latest research?"

"Research has actually been quite difficult recently," Merlot explained as they walk through the halls, "So difficult that I haven't had the time to properly appear for my class sessions. However, I can safely say that I've already had my schedule prepared!"

"That's good to hear. Professor Port could now focus his attention on one class period instead of substituting yours," Ozpin smiled warmly, "What was it again? Grimm Biology 101? I'm curious, Merlot. How would such a technologically professional CEO, like yourself, be as so interested in Grimm Biology?"

"Oz, you wound me!" Merlot chuckled as he placed a hand on his chest, "My Grimm Studies are meant to ensure your academy students have the necessary information of the beasts and monsters that lurk outside their homes."

"So I see," Ozpin nodded thoughtfully.

"Come now, Oz!" Merlot chuckled warmly, "You are lucky that my company's headquarters is located in Vale as my studies have become more and more renowned around Remnant! I've been more than generous to lend you myself to personally teach these young minds my latest research!"

Ozpin let out a warm chuckle, "But of course, Doctor Merlot," he said before they stop, "You better prepare your class soon. The students this year show much promise. I'm certain you'll enjoy teaching them your research."

"But of course, my perfect teaching record has yet to be sullied by some unlucky student to grace my classroom!" Merlot chuckled proudly, making a joking shrug, "I'm certain this year will be like all the others."

"You mean like the year, that one student tried to tame an Ursa and instead made it rampage through your classroom?" Ozpin joked before sipping his coffee.

"I-I have no idea what that young man was thinking!" Merlot grumbled at him, "I merely shared a theory on Grimm social behaviors!"

"A master/slave relationship?" the Headmaster raised his eyebrow at him lightly.

"A theory at best, and a theory it still remains," Merlot grumbled lightly before finally walking off while looking at his pocket watch, "It appears that my class period will be quite soon. I better make everything prepared for their next lesson."

"I should hope that Professor Port's many stories didn't slow down their studies too much," Ozpin smirked as he returned to his office.


	9. Chapter 9 - Due Date - Part 1

_**VCTR - Chapter 9  
Due Date – Part 1**_

The daylight burst through the darkness of night, gently painting the campus of Beacon in the morning light. The light stretched across the rooftops, down through the windows and across Carmine's bed. The blood red Huntsman groaned as he flipped over on his bed, covering his face with his pillow as his alarm went off.

"Urf…" Carmine reached out to his charging Scroll and picked it up while blinded by his pillow, "Shut it…"

"Oh, no," Titan immediately grabbed Carmine's Scroll, turning off the alarm as he pulled the pillow off his head, "It's Friday. Where's your homework?"

"It's in my folder…" Carmine grumbled as Raiden took up his folder on his nightstand and opened it, revealing blank pages within it to their team. Titan frowned hard as he looked over to Carmine, who gulped as he knew he was busted.

"No notes, or homework!? What's wrong with you?! You know you need to keep your grades up to stay in this school!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Carmine sat up on the edge of his bed, holding up a hand to Titan to stop him, "Look! I've jus' been busy?"

"With what? You're distracted, aren't you?"

"What?! Winona!? I'm not thinkin' 'bout her at all!" Carmine quickly shook his head.

The rest of his team stared at him silently a few moments.

"None of us mentioned, her," Vulcan blinked a couple times.

"So, it was a girl…" Titan pensively crossed his arms.

"That's okay!" Raiden chuckled to Carmine, "You planning to take her out?"

"I've actually been thinkin' on takin' her out this weekend," Carmine smiled to his friend warmly.

"That's going to wait," Titan interrupted them, "You have six assignments waiting to be finished, and you're just going to have to wait."

"Mmh…" Carmine gulped a bit and nodded to Titan lightly, "R-Right."

"I've got an idea!" Vulcan smiled brightly to his friend, "How 'bout we be study buddies, eh? Everyday we're gonna spend a little while on assignments and make sure they're done on time!"

"That sounds swell, Vulcan!" Carmine chuckled with a bright smile.

"You've got until the first class to get yourself caught together on time," Titan sighed lightly and nodded, "You'll need to work fast."

Meanwhile, Winona giggled cutely as she stepped out of the shower in her team's bathroom and quickly put on her clothes, singing a cute melody her mother sang to her whenever she was a toddler. She often hummed the melody to herself as there were no defined lyrics, but notes. This made the melody extra special as Winona could make it about anything she wanted.

The Foxy Faunus stepped out of her bathroom and giggled as she found Plamen slaving over his homework with a quite tired face. She skipped over to her old friend and looked at his notes closely.

"Oh!" Winona pointed to his paper, "That's actually wrong there! The boar-like Grimm is called a Borbatusk, and the alligator one is called a Sobeck!"

"Ah…!" Plamen nodded to her lightly and smiled to her, "Thanks, Winona… I dunno how I'd be able to keep good grades without you…"

Winona giggled cutely as she leaned back from her friend and looked over to see Otieno and Audra gone from their beds.

"They're up early!" she giggled brightly as she walked over, the beds actually being untouched, "Awww! They've fixed up their beds!"

"They've been gone since midnight…" Plamen yawned as he stood up, gathering up his homework and he turned to her.

"Two in the morning," Otieno muttered as Audra and he stood in front of the open window.

"Two in the morning!?" Winona gasped as she looked at them in surprise, "Why're up so late?!"

"We were going for a walk," Otieno smiled to her as he walked over to his desk and took up his folder, opening it and flipping through his assignments, "A morning jog is good for your health, don't you know?"

"In the middle of the night?" Plamen lightly frowned.

"Hey! People sleep and people walk," Otieno suddenly pointed at him, "Audra and I just happen to be the people who walk at night."

"A two in the morning…" Plamen sighed and shook his head, "Whatever then. Just please don't get into trouble…"

"No promises," Otieno smirked to his friend through the hood. Plamen gave him a sharp glare and Otieno nodded finally, "Okay, okay!" he sighed lightly, "We'll stay out of trouble and sleep in a little more… You're like a parent sometimes… Jeez…"

"You make me wonder if you had a parent sometimes…"

Otieno just stared at him coldly a few moments.

"Oh!" Winona giggled as she stepped between them quickly, "You both must be hungry!" she clapped he hands happily, "Let's go get some food now! Breakfast is served in a few minutes!"

"Sounds good," Otieno smiled lightly to Winona and nodded. He walked out the door with Audra soon.

Plamen sighed a moment and shook his head as they left, "I said something stupid again."

"It's okay!" Winona smiled brightly, "Otieno and Audra just have it hard! It wouldn't be a bad idea to apologize though! I mean…" she looked down to the floor, holding her hands behind her, "You should know what it's like to be parent-less."

"Yeah. That's so unlike me," Plamen walked out. Winona closed and locked the door behind, "I'll apologize. Team PAOW needs to be a friend-based team. We can't fight each other, like Professor Port said."

"Well, you are taking serious strides but change is never instant! You know, you and me weren't friends the moment you punched that bully in the face at Signal! You got detention first for the next week, and then I made you cookies!"

"And I was outrageously hungry," Plamen smiled, "I remember. I'd never forget that time…"

"Yeppity!" Winona cheerfully giggled to him, "It was a little awkward for us to be sitting together at first, but we got along eventually!"

"Yeh. We had some good times though."

"You betcha!" the Foxy Faunus pointed forward, "Now let's share those times with our new friends and teammates! Charge!" she dashed ahead of Plamen.

"H-Hey!" Plamen gritted his teeth as he followed her quickly, "Not so loud! People are still sleeping!"

The breakfast hall was teeming with young and old students this morning. It was the end of the first week and spirits were high and soaring all around.

Vulcan, however, was not.

"Mmh…" The Blond Huntsman looked through his assignments carefully, thinking meticulously to himself.

"What's up?" Titan gave him a curious gaze as he sat across from him.

"Uh…?" Vulcan glanced up to him, broken from his thoughts, "Sorry. I'm just stuck on one assignment…"

"Which one is that?" Raiden took a gander at his notes as he took a seat beside him.

"It's Cobalt's assignment... I'm actually not sure what to put down."

"What do you know then?" Titan inquired as they ate together. Carmine sat near them but quickly writing out assignments while Raiden glanced over to check on him.

"I don't know…" Vulcan muttered thoughtfully, "What'd you put down?"

"Well, I simply wrote that I'm strong and dependable yet feral and unrelenting," Titan nodded to him, "It's really a short essay. Nothing to it."

Vulcan let out a long sigh, "I… I see…"

"Think about what fighting style you use," Raiden held up a hand as he expatiated, "You rush into battle without a plan. You're hasty and brash."

"Not to mention you don't consider what we can do," Titan added to Raiden's statement, "You don't work together with others too well."

Vulcan gave shocked glimpse at first before he furrowed his brow, "What do you mean!? I got us through the initiation!"

"That's as far as you got us together though. Every battle this week is basically been you trying to fight alone," Titan tapped a finger onto the table, "You make hasty decisions without considering what we can do. Yesterday's battle was sloppy. You rushed out before me and separated the team apart. If we were among an airship load of Grimm, we'd be dead."

Vulcan sat there a moment, dumbstruck by Titan's information. It all came through to him clearly. He has been acting quite hasty and irresponsibly lately.

"You're right," Vulcan nodded lightly to his friends, "I'll… be more careful…"

"Me too…" Carmine gave a muffled reply as his face was buried in his papers. He was stumped beyond belief.

"You've gotta be kidding…" Titan grumbled a bit as shook his head. A loud gasp shot near them.

Winona rushed into the scene.

"Carmine!" she pulled him back up from his work, "Are you okay!?" she gasped dramatically again, seeing the blank pages, "Oh, no! No-no-no! This cannot do!"

"Eh?!" Carmine could only reply as Winona took both him and the notebook.

"Come! We've got a lot of work to do before Professor Oobleck's history class!" Winona dragged him behind her in a flash.

The remaining members of Team VCTR watched as the only chatter heard was from strangers around them.

"That was… quick," Vulcan blinked a couple times.

"We could start by changing up your battle style," Titan pointed to Vulcan soon, unfazed by the recent event.

"What!? What's wrong with that!?" Vulcan barked.

"It's sloppy," Titan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "You need something to slow yourself down considerably and make your strikes easier to hit their target."

"Kenjutsu," Raiden muttered with a small smile.

"Ken—what?" Vulcan stared at his friends bewildered.

"Kenjutsu," Titan nodded to his cold ally.

Later, Carmine was busy writing down everything Winona and he discussed minutes before Oobleck's class would begin. He sat beside Winona as he was writing it all quickly.

"Don't forget Atlas tried to intervene in Vale and Mistral while Vacuo took advantage and began to raid Vale's Eastern border," Winona whispered to him as he wrote, "and then General Barkio Rosu declared Atlas in league with Vale while—"

"Got it! Got it!" Carmine finished the essay and wrote his name and date down, "There!"

Winona read through his essay in a flash.

"There!" she giggled as he tore it out from his notebook, "Now you've properly finished your first essay!"

"And now five more assignments to go…" Carmine groaned as he flopped himself onto the desk.

"Oh, don't worry!" Winona patted his head softly, "We'll be able to finish them all in time! We've got the free period before lunch! That's thirty minutes! That'll be thirty minutes to finish three more assignments!"

"Mmh…" Carmine soon smiled, "Of course!" he shot up quickly, "We've got time! Loads of time!"

"Yah!" Winona hopped in her chair cheerfully as she held up her hands in triumph. Carmine copied her without a second thought.

"They're like a couple of kids…" Titan pensively mumbled as he seated himself beside Plamen.

"Eh, Winona's always been innocent," Plamen gazed over to him with a tired look, "It's probably her best trait."

"Mmh…" Titan calmly watched them, "She won't be a distraction to him."

"And Carmine won't come up with any funny business?" Plamen raised an eyebrow lightly.

"No, he won't," Raiden spoke from behind them. Titan and Plamen turned to see Raiden and Vulcan sitting behind them.

"Carmine's not the kind of guy to take advantage like that. He's honorable."

"Yeah! The best part is if he's having trouble focusing on his studies, we can just ship him to her!" Vulcan laughed a bit.

Titan smiled lightly, "Well, it does seem to make everyone happy. It works, but we'll need to monitor them to make sure it works."

"Leave that to me," Raiden confidently smirked to his friends.

Carmine smiled brightly to Winona soon as Oobleck flashed by for their homework. He looked at her adorable facial features and cute, fluffy pigtails. He opened his mouth lightly, beginning to speak.

No words escaped.

He sat there, blushing brightly and frozen. He needed to ask her something. However, he just didn't know how to say it.

"Winona…"

Her gaze met his. He grew pale.

"I…"

"Alright, students!" Oobleck announced proudly as he stood behind his desk. He briskly sipped his coffee, "I've gathered your homework and I'm pleased to say that everyone has been able to finish their assignments on time!" Oobleck continued to speak as Carmine looked down to his notebook.

He couldn't say anything.

Afterward, in the Training Grounds Vulcan smiled as he walked with his team to their designated area. He looked around to see the other classmates. He yelped in surprise once Titan grabbed the back of his collar, pulling him to the center of the ring.

"Okay," Titan stood Vulcan straight, "Now, let's go over some basics."

"Basics?" Vulcan showed confusion before realizing. He snapped his fingers, "Oooooh, right! Ken—something…"

"Kenjutsu," Titan crossed his arms, "It's a style of fighting that involves using a katana."

"But I have a chainsaw!" Vulcan shifted his Slaughterhouse to chainsaw-form, "Not a katana."

Carmine and Raiden were on their bench, chuckling about something while Titan and Vulcan had their discussion.

"Look!" Vulcan pointed suddenly to another student with a katana/dust conduit, "Now that's a katana!"

Raiden and Carmine burst into laughter. Titan immediately smacked the back of Vulcan's head.

"Focus!" he glared at Vulcan a moment before smirking, "Alright, if you think you know how to use a chainsaw," he retreated a few paces, "Come at me," Titan gestured for Vulcan to attack.

He was taunting Vulcan.

Vulcan lightly frowned, "You really don't want me to do this now…"

"No, seriously," Titan crossed his arms as he didn't have his weapon, "Come at me, bro."

"Oooooooooh…" Carmine hooted as Titan taunted Vulcan more.

Vulcan gave Titan a light glare.

"Well, which is it?" Titan patted his own chest, "Just one slash. Riiiight across the chest."

Raiden and Carmine alternated their attention from Titan to Vulcan.

"You don't, want me to do this," Vulcan held his chainsaw beside himself, revving up the motor.

"No, I think you don't want to do this. What're you? Chicken? Or are you not ready to be leader of Team VCTR?"

Vulcan's rage exploded from within him. He charged. He ran with all his might toward Titan. Titan waited for him.

Vulcan swung his whirling blade.

Titan caught his arm. Then, he punched Vulcan dead center.

Vulcan gasped.

He fell on his back, struggling to breathe in. Titan frowned and crossed his arms.

"See what happens when you just rush in?" Titan lumbered around Vulcan. Then, he squatted to meet his attention, "We'll take two here, but when you're ready. We're going to teach you how to use that weapon properly."

"Guh… Got it…" Vulcan wheezed. He rolled over and coughed a few times before finally standing up.

"Now. We'll start with your stance."

Later, during Free Period, Carmine walked with Winona to a table in the library. She rushed over to a table in the far back and pulled out herself a chair.

"This'll do just nicely!" Winona chimed as she seated herself.

"Lemme, please!" Carmine politely pushed her to the table.

"Oh! Thanks a bunch!" Winona giggled cutely to him. She pulled out her notebook and slapped it onto the table, opening it.

"We've got thirty minutes before lunch to finish your last assignments!" Winona flipped through her pages.

Raiden stopped behind the last shelf between him and the others. He activated his semblance and concealed himself from sight. He silently stepped around the shelf, watching Carmine and Winona calmly.

Several minutes passed as Raiden watched them work on the last few assignments.

"Y'know, Carmine."

"Yeh? What's it, Winona?"

"Plamen and I used to study together like this at Signal," she tilted her head as she gave him a cute grin, "He had lotsa trouble keeping up with homework too!"

"Heh, I'm kinda surprised…" Carmine chuckled lightly, "I mean, Plamen's pretty smart, y'know? Didn't think he'd have that kinda trouble."

"Well, he still does, but he manages himself pretty well now!" Winona giggled cutely, "I liked hanging out with him and helping him with these things…"

"He musta really liked the help… Raiden and I used to study together, but now he's gotten kinda distant…"

"Oh?" Winona gave a concerned gaze, "What do you mean…?"

Raiden also felt concerned at Carmine's words.

"Well, it's not that we're not friends anymore," Carmine smiled warmly, "Our friendship'll last a lifetime! But he's been so busy with his own work that he's got little time'ta help me out. I wonder if I'm startin'ta be a burden…"

"No, ya ain't!" Winona smiled brightly, "People change, Carmine. Plamen doesn't need my help cause he's tired of someone helping him. He just started managing himself, y'know? Maybe Raiden thinks you can do it too now!"

"Well, if I could do that, why do I need ya'ta help with homework?"

"That's cause ya need that special oomph!" she playfully shoved Carmine off his chair.

"Hey!" Carmine chuckled as he stood up, "No fair!"

"You got pushed of your chair by a girl!" Winona laughed at him teasingly.

"Stop it already…" Carmine laughed a bit as he seated himself, "Let's get these assignments done now."

"Kay!" Winona nodded to him happily. They continued focusing on Carmine's work together. She soon spoke again, "Hey, Carmine."

"Mmhm," Carmine nodded to her lightly as he wrote on his notebook.

"Wanna be my study buddy?" she giggled cutely, "I think there's a couple things I'll be struggling on too soon."

"Oh, sure!" Carmine nodded to her happily, "That way I won't hold the team back!"

Winona giggled cutely to him and poked his nose and Carmine sneezed. Papers were sent flying everywhere. They both just laughed and begun to clean up.

Raiden lightly smiled at the endearing couple.


	10. Chapter 10 - Due Date - Part 2

Chapter 10  
Due Date – Part 2

The dark night covered the skies of Mistral tonight, wrapping the world in a thick blanket of stars. Audra gazed out the window. She enjoyed such magical lights with her brother Otieno. The stars would all gleam together so brightly. It appeared that the night sky was filled with currents that washed over all of Remnant.

"Young lady," Ozpin's voice nearly broke her attention away, "Young lady, please. I would just like a word."

Audra refused to move a muscle for him. She sat obstainately across the table from Ozpin.

"I see…" Ozpin followed her gaze as he sat across from her on the desk, "The stars tonight are out in great force."

Audra turned her gaze back to him. He read her easily.

Ozpin gave a welcoming smirk, "You don't need to hide yourself from me, young lady," he calmly pointed to her hood over her head, "You're safe with me."

Audra didn't say a word. Sje studied him underneath her hood carefully.

"Well, if you won't let me see your face, perhaps you could let me hear your name?" Ozpin tilted his head to side.

"I don't speak to strangers…" Audra huffed before she looked back out the window.

"Right you are. Perhaps I'll try again," he cleared his throat and resituated himself on the chair, "I'm Professor Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon Academy."

"Headmaster… How noble…" Audra mumbled, holding her head up with one hand, the arm rested on her chair.

"Well, it isn't as noble as how your guardian stood to protect you and your brother from Atlas trying to throw you both in Stribog Prison. One of Atlas' most secure and infamous prison facilities."

Audra tensed at Ozpin's words for a brief moment.

"And if you want to know more, an Atlas officer would have no problem explaining everything including a tour. Now that wouldn't do for your sickly mo-."

"Shut up!" Audra slammed her hand on the table. She found herself on her feet now as she panted lightly.

Ozpin calmly smiled to her, "I'm not here to antagonize you, Miss Kitsune. I'm here to help you and your family."

Audra could see he was sincere and she seated herself quietly. She crossed her arms as she looked at him in the eye.

"Now that I have your attention, may I ask your name?"

 _"Primula."_

* * *

"Eh?" Raiden quickly turned around, "Who said that?"

There was no answer down the hall. His voice echoed lightly past the passageway within the school. It was after lunch now and Raiden was just going to his next class. He had needed to leave his friends a moment to visit the nearest rest room. However, he easily had gotten lost and had to regain his bearings. Now, random voices were talking to him through the hall. To his left were columns and past them was the eastern courtyard near the third year dormitories.

"I did," a young lady stepped out from a column near Raiden.

It was the same woman he met in the dust shop a few days ago.

"My name," she met his gaze with a soft smile, "I'm Primula… Primula Kitsune."

"Primula… It's beautiful," Raiden cleared his throat, stood straight and bowed to her, "I'm Raiden Makos."

"I know," she bowed to him gracefully, "My friends talk about you a lot."

"I… uh…" Raiden blushed in surprise, "Friends?"

Primula looked away a brief moment and blushed lightly, "Yeah… They like to talk…" she lightly nodded while she held her hands behind her back, crossing her legs awkwardly, "A lot…"

"Do they… like to talk about my friends too, or…?"

"Oh, well, sometimes…"

"Uh-huh…" Raiden gave a strange look to her a moment.

"Okay, well… They don't talk about you a lot, but they talk about everyone…" Primula giggled lightly in embarrassment.

"Okay…" Raiden gazed around the hall in their silence a moment, "Nice… Weather."

"Oh, yes!"

"Do you like the sun?"

"I… What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you like the sun?" Raiden scratched the back of his head lightly.

"Well, it's nice… On certain occasions, I'd like to think…" Primula giggled awkwardly.

Silence.

"I think Raiden's a handsome name. Uhm…" Primula closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She held her hands together in front of her, "Would you like to get together again another time? I mean, this weekend. My friends tend to spend a lot of time at Beacon's Cross-continental Transmit Tower and talk to their family and friends to catch them up on the times. A-and I thought since I have nothing to do we could head into town together?"

Raiden was surprised by her words. Her request was long winded and descriptive, but honest and as straightforward as she could make it. She's cute. Cute, graceful and charming in her own way. He had nothing to do this weekend either, which was tomorrow, or the day after. It's short notice. However, it wasn't a problem for him.

"Sure," Raiden nodded to her and lightly shrugged, "Why not?"

"Oh! Really?" she could barely contain her excitement as she grinned widely, "I, well… See you at the Mountain Glenn transport at seven-thirty, okay?"

"Morning or afternoon?" Raiden tilted his head to her as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Afternoon!" Primula rushed past him, "See ya then!" she waved as the five minute bell rang. Five minutes until the next class. Primula dashed around the corner and squealed lightly to herself. She took out her Scroll and immediately checked off her list on her notes. With bright smile and a snap of her device, Primula slipped out her hood from her sleeve. She held her breath a moment and let it out slowly to calm herself.

She wrapped the hood around her neck and lifted her hood over her face. The shadow covered her real identity.

Now her name was Audra Anon.

Audra stepped out from her corner and walked casually past the crowd of students leaving to their next class. This identity she now wore was for her own protection. However, it often has left her to be lonely.

A loneliness unforgettable; most would find undesirable. Audra found it familiar. However, she never shared it with just herself. Otieno was always with her. Her only brother.

Her only family.

As the crowd drifted past her, Audra could see her brother sitting in the trees in the courtyard. He was watching someone. Otieno had a knack for spying and keeping himself out of sight.

Audra shifted her course. She came up into the courtyard and under the trees. She jumped inside the branches in a flash, perching on a branch beside her brother's. Otieno gazed to her from his neighboring branch. He held up a finger to his lips, then pointed down. Audra's eyes followed. She beheld a small group of students in the bushes. There were four students. A whole team, perhaps. They were trading Lien to one student as he passed around Dust capsules.

"Damn, Greystone!" one student chuckled as he's looking at the Dust, "I think we owe ya! Cheapest Dust around here and it's local. You've got a good thing going."

"These are rare Dust, SAPR," Greystone smirked as he held up a capsule, "Dry Ice. First glance you'd think these act like regular Ice Dust," he laughed lightly, readjusting his faded grey fedora, "But trust you me. Once anyone touches this stuff, they'll find themselves stuck to it like glue! Referees wouldn't know the difference between getting frozen in regular Dust or frozen with these bad boys! Heh, heh! Trust me, these instructors don't know the difference."

"Wait a sec, now, Grey," another pointed to the capsule, a taller huntsman who did not exactly seem smart, "How's Dry Ice considered to be illegal?"

"Ya dunce!" Grey smacked the back of this student's head, "It ain't! It's jus' extremely rare. An' I guarantee ya boys! Ya won't find any Dust like these anywhere near Vale! 'Cept fer me!"

"Alright, what else ya got now?" smiled female student as she held up her capsule.

"Well, Petunia, I'll make this simple," Grey chuckled lightly as he took the capsule and winked to her, "Ya see what you've got here is a pure form of Plasma Dust. An excellent and stable combination of Electric and Fire Dust. Ya won't find it anywhere. Trust me. This stuff can augment yer weapons'ta a point where they'll melt through metal. It's illegalized in tournaments for its capability to shut a huntsman down fer life. I heard headhunters pay real Lien fer that stuff!"

"Oooooh…" Petunia took the capsule and examined the orange Dust.

"I don't think this will be necessary," the leader of the four student group grabbed the capsule from her teammate, "Team SAPR will use rare Dust, but we're no cheaters, or headhunters…"

"Alright, alright," Grey took the capsule from the leader, "I get it! You want something that'll give you an honest edge! Hey, lucky for you! I've got a few more choices fer you guys as well!" He pulled out a few more capsules, "I've got Steam, Glasss, even Mirror Dust," he chuckled as he held up the pale silver Dust crystal, "These babies are known in the black market as Blanks… They're seriously useful fer mercenaries, y'know? Put this baby in a Dust conduit and it'll do basically nuthin', but once hit with a Dust element, WHAMMO!" he pointed to the leader suddenly, "Yer fightin' fire with fire!"

Petunia gasped and hopped in place quickly, "Oh, please-please-please-please-please-please!"

"Yer pal there really knows how to express herself now," Grey chuckled as he examined at her fashionable dress. Then, gazed back to the leader, "What'cha say yer name was? Sapphire, right?"

"Sandy…" Sandy muttered as she crossed her arms. Her outfit was indeed blue, but it also had the sand colored accents to her toga-like dress, "Sandy Tsunami…"

"Petunia Lavender!" Petunia chimed happily to Greystone.

"Alright. Miss Tsunami… Miss Lavender…" Grey playfully growled to Petunia, who merely giggled.

"Get to the point already…" Sandy grumbled, tapping her elbow lightly with a finger.

"Well, what'cha say now?" Grey chuckled again, "Cheapest Dust in Beacon! Greystone Stoneworks."

"We'll take the Mirror Dust," she sighed lightly, holding up her Lien, "This'll cover it, right?"

"Mmh…" Grey took the money and skimmed it all thoughtfully, "They actually cost more, but since this is yer first purchase, I'll cut'cha that! Then, I'll throw in the Dry Ice fer free."

"Yay!" Petunia chimed cutely.

"We'll take them," Sandy nodded as her teammates gathered the Dust and walked off. Petunia and she followed them out of the brush. Greystone gathered his supplies and stored them carefully into the tree roots. A nifty hiding spot for him. Grey scanned his surroundings before casually walking out of the brush as well. He whistled to himself as he left.

Otieno finally dropped from the trees. Audra followed. He pulled out the case from under the tree and opened it. He examined the Dust capsules closely.

"I could use these…" Otieno smirked lightly and childishly as he browsed through the case. Audra stood in front of him across the case. Otieno noticed her glance. Her silence saying enough to him as he sighed a moment, closing the case.

"Fine, fine…" he stuffed the case inside the tree, "Looks like we've found our lead."

"Do you really think he's from them?" Audra asked with a light frown.

"Yeah," Otieno nodded to her with a smirk, "We're gonna need to find out the next time he'll come to check his supplies… or we'll wait it out. He'll run out of it all at some point," he stood up and stretched his arms, "We'll shadow him in the streets and find out his sources that way."

"What if he leads us to them?" Audra crossed her arms lightly, hugging herself.

"Nah," Otieno shook his head quickly, "Too soon. Noire wouldn't worry herself with small fries like this one."

"Mmh…" Audra drifted her eyes to a flower beside them. It was a black and red primula flower. Otieno noticed this. He picked the flower and gave it to her without a second thought.

"You can pick these," Otieno smiled to her lightly, "They're not going to die when you do…"

Audra lightly smiled to her brother, taking the flower tenderly, "Thanks, Otis…"

"Otis…" he shrugged nonchalantly as he stood up, "I guess it's better than saying 'Otieno' all the time. Let's get out of here." He guided her out of the brush. Audra just admired her primula as they went.

Cobalt stopped in his tracks. He watched the pair step out of the courtyard and made a pensive expression. Those two, Otieno and Audra, have been the most suspicious characters since day one. He stroked his silver goatee. Ozpin couldn't disclose any information but that they were under Mistral's witness protection program. Perhaps Ozpin has control over this. Cobalt shouldn't need to worry. However…

"Ah!" hands clapped beside him. Cobalt glanced to Merlot and his sleazy smirk.

"Oh, boy…" Cobalt stared back into the courtyard.

"Well, if it isn't the latest addition to the Beacon family…" Merlot chuckled as he held up both arms lightly, "I overheard some students calling you quite exhilarating and eccentric things! Cold Colbalt, Professor Complicated, Weirdo… Mmh…" he gazed to the floor a moment thoughtfully, "Well, that last one obviously didn't have much thought to begin with."

"My teaching methods are different." Cobalt crossed his arms and sighed, "Came to give advice?"

"Actually, no! I was more intrigued in learning why you've chosen to let students strictly call you on a first name basis," Merlot stepped toward the courtyard as he stroked his own scruffy goatee, "No Professor, no sir, no mister. Your first day must've shocked everyone, didn't it?"

"They'll get used to it," Cobalt raised his eyebrow to Merlot.

"Perhaps, but wouldn't you expect such open and lax methods to prove weak?" Merlot turned back to him, "I would expect them to lose interest in your teachings and find you to be an equal."

"That's when you keep a tight leash on them," Cobalt walked past him, "Peace is peace, but chaos is chaos."

"Mmh…" Merlot pensively watched, "Chaos is chaos… How simple… coming from a citizen of Vale…"

Cobalt stepped into his classroom, scanning the students a moment. He sat down and held up his list. He called role. All was accounted for.

"Alright then," Cobalt smiled as he relaxed his feet on his desk, "Earlier this week I told you all have a very important assignment. Now, would be the time to bring them to my desk, please."

Each student stood up, taking their essays to his desk with haste. A few students actually having trouble finding their work at first. Others just fumbled with blank sheets, writing as fast as they could. Vulcan stepped up to his desk now. He tensely held the page in his hands and stared at Cobalt. Cobalt raised his eyebrow.

"Go on now, Vulcan," he gestured to the stack of essays.

"Mmh…" Vulcan dropped the page there and walked back to his desk. He stared down to his desk space silently. Raiden smiled to him. He patted his friend's back warmly.

"Now then," Cobalt cleared his voice a moment as he took a page, "On the subject of these essays, I'm going to clear the air. So listen closely," he pulled his legs back as he sat up, "These essays have nothing to do with your grades."

Vulcan just sighed in relief, "Thank, goodness!" he laid himself on the desk, grateful there were no consequences.

"Then, why make us write essays?" Otieno grumbled.

"Excellent question," Cobalt smirked to them as he put the stack down, "These essays you wrote are essays that tell me about who you are; who you see yourselves to be. A huntsman's and huntress' greatest weapon is not their own weapon, but themselves. You all hold the potential to surpass one another: growing, improving, and progressing. That, is why you're here now, is it not?" Cobalt slipped all the homework into a folder, "In this class, our focus is the will to improve. Reading these essays will show me what you've learned about yourselves and reading future essays will inform me more. You will be graded on those. All I ask, is that you continue to learn, and grow. Perhaps we will all be able to learn more about one another as well."

Vulcan leaned up while he listened. Cobalt's explanation was simple. His essays functioned like milestones. Perhaps this class would be more fun than he expected earlier this week.

"Now, let's resume our lesson…"


	11. Chapter 11 - A Goodwitch's Wish

Chapter 11

A Goodwitch's Wish

Vulcan quietly and patiently sat in the back of the family vehicle. The black leather seats void of any stains or marks unlike most family vehicles would. No, this vehicle was from the Goodwitch family; Vale's most respected high class family due to their legacy of huntsman and huntress.

"Vulcan," Glynda's eyes met his from the rearview mirror. Her hands firm on the wheel, "This will be your first time to the family manor, won't it?"

"Yeah…" Vulcan straightened himself soon as they drove through the outskirts of the residential area. This was the morning of the weekend; the end of the first week in Beacon. Vulcan could see the citizens of Vale freely strolling the streets as they leave the block.

"I see…" Glynda trained her eyes on the road ahead; momentarily contemplating their conversation. Vulcan could see a high fence enclosing above them as they came through a forest road. Now leaving the concrete behind them as the road they drove on now was quite old. A brick road.

"What's with the fence?" Vulcan curiously pointed out.

"It's a high powered voltage funnel. We set it up decades ago to keep smaller Grimm away. This area in Vale has little to no Grimm anyway. You won't see anything dangerous out here. Maybe a Beowolf or two, but they've never really posed any serious threat."

"Okay…" Vulcan glanced out the window a moment. Then, he glanced to Glynda, "What's the family manor… like?"

"Personally, I find it to be just too big sometimes," Glynda grumbled to herself a moment, "It's a large place. Many rooms… but lately, only the caretakers look after the place."

"Care… takers…?"

Glynda glanced back to Vulcan through the mirror, "A… lot has happened… since you've disappeared."

"O-oh…" Vulcan nodded as he gazed to the floor. He could see his clean white socks. Glynda wouldn't allow him to wear his ratty old boots in the car. They had to be put into the trunk. She must really care about this vehicle if she's that strict.

There's a lot about Glynda he's noticed. Since earlier this week, Glynda had been very involved in Team VCTR's progress. Ozpin did mention she cares. She must not show it like an aunt would or, perhaps, she liked to show it through correcting others. People must misunderstand her intentions a lot then. She always came in like a cold blizzard when Vulcan does something just perfectly wrong.

"We're here now," Glynda interrupted his thoughts. The gold gate with crown design opened up before them. They passed through and Vulcan could see it now.

The mansion was indeed tremendous. It appeared magnificent upon the bright green hill. The architecture was similar to a castle and he could see a spire on either side of the establishment. The roof having just one perfect point at the center, connecting the spires. There were many windows for Vulcan to see; each closed and blocked behind by curtains. They drove up to the front doors by going around a large stone fountain of statues. They were several men and women standing proudly around a spout of water shooting up above. Each armored or specially clothed for combat. Most appearing prestigious, others majestic. It was like a family signature as they all reminded Vulcan of Glynda.

Glynda parked the car in front of the expansive flight of stairs at the front of the mansion. She stepped out of the car, flicked her crop, and the trunk immediately opened with Vulcan's door. His boots flew back to him, and dropped to the brick road along with his Slaughterhouse backpack.

"Oh…!" Vulcan smiled as he picked them up, "Thanks!" He made sure to put them on outside of the car while Glynda patiently waited for him at the doors. He soon joined her at the towering dark brown doors with the family crest: the golden crown. Behind them now was the black and purple classical family vehicle.

"Welcome to the Goodwitch Residence," she gestured for Vulcan to open the door; however, he didn't notice. His eyes were set on his surroundings, scanning the fences that formed a tremendous perimeter around this place. He could see the trees and bushes that lined the road and the luscious grass that blanketed the earth. There were small flowers that patched the land. He found there was so much to explore here.

"This place is… really huge…!" Vulcan held up both fists closely as he crouched lightly. He was obviously excited.

"It's an acre or less, yes…" Glynda sighed nonchalantly while nodding. She glimpsed away a moment to the trees in the distance, "There's a lot here: a vegetable garden, gazebo or two, a few roads for driving practice—"

"Driving practice!?" Vulcan's face lit up in delighted wonder. He always wanted to drive a car, or a motorcycle, or even a dirty truck! The thought of being behind the wheel and operating a machine that'll take him places faster than on foot just excited him. He daydreamed about wind blowing through his hair as he'd take dangerous turns with ridiculous speed. The risk and danger just allured him.

"Well, yes, we actually have many vehicles in the garage," Glynda raised her eyebrow to him, unaware of his daredevil fantasies, "They were mainly vehicles used by the family; however, they have no owners currently."

"Wait… What?" Vulcan tilted his head to her lightly, crossing his arms, "What do you mean?"

"Come…" Glynda forced the doors open with a flick of her crop, "We've must to discuss."

"Mmh…" Vulcan followed Glynda into the classical manor. Glynda gestured for Vulcan to put his jacket onto the classical coat hanger by the door. He took off his jacket carefully as he looked around the spacious main hall; leaving on his Slaughterhouse.

It looked more like a ballroom from those old fairytale movies and such. But it was dark. Empty. It was also clean as Vulcan could see the delicate gleam on the flooring. He couldn't make out a design or anything else on the floor. Once he put his jacket up, he properly scanned his surroundings. To his right, he could see a tall fireplace where a few couches and chairs for people to sit and share together. They were covered in plastic sheets; the fireplace was barren. To his left he could see several doors that presumably lead to the kitchen or garage, and possibly other important parts of the house. Perhaps a library was here as well. There were stairs that led to the upper floors and Vulcan could spot a long winding cat walk that spanned the walls around. The only bare light was the sun through the windows.

"This place may have been tremendous, but it was once full of life…" Glynda lit a candelabra that sat upon a counter near them. She held it up gently and offered it to Vulcan.

"Oh," Vulcan took the golden candelabra and followed her closely through the room, "What happened? Where's these caretakers right now?"

"…" Glynda glanced to him a moment as they walked up the stairs, "The caretakers left on holiday. And I…" she stopped a moment to breathe in slowly, "Let me start from the beginning. This way."

Vulcan continued to follow Glynda through the dark corridors. He held his questions to not upset Glynda right now. She just appeared so troubled to him. When they pass through the warm and endearing family pictures on the walls, Glynda halted in front of a black and red door and she unlocked with a fluid motion.

"Go in," Glynda took the candelabra from Vulcan and slowly pushed the door open. He examined the inside as he stepped forward. It was a little dark, but Vulcan could spy a light switch near them. He flicked it on. This was a child's room. It wasn't his own though. There was a bed at the back of the room that was all properly made. It was designed to be a racecar and there were old airship models in the air, hanging from strings above it. The sheets and blankets were covered in the thick layer of dust and were tousled about. There was a desk covered with small machine parts and Vulcan could see tools on the floor near it. They all seemed ideal for cars or vehicles. The closet door was opened ajar.

Vulcan stared at it as he could feel a foreboding air inside it. Glynda finally stepped into the room and gently gestured her hand to the closet.

"Go on, Vulcan…" she calmly urged him, "You'll learn who lived here if you do."

He stared at Glynda a few moments. Fear gripped his heart like a Beowolf gripped its prey. However, he stepped forward, slowly. He kept his eyes on the doorknob; panting became slightly heavier. He reached forward. His hand touched it gently and pulled the door open.

The light shone from the windows was very sallow.

There was a black and red suit. Vulcan recognized its warm and welcoming memory. He took the sleeve of it carefully and felt the velvety cloth. At once he realized who this all belonged to.

This was his father's room.

"It all started here…" Glynda crossed her arms tightly, "You may not know much about your father, but he was seriously stubborn sometimes… He and I would barely get along. He was a lot like you though… adventurous, love of nature, but there was a more to him as well. He loved machines, mechanics. He loved them so much that he created the Slaughterhouse himself… right here on his desk…"

Vulcan gazed back to the desk not far from them and he turned to Glynda, "He… What else could you tell me about him…?"

"Well, he loved being a Huntsman as well," Glynda muttered a moment, letting out a light sigh while she hugged herself, "He loved the danger and the call to help others. It was everything to him. We both applied to Beacon the first time we got… To uphold the legacy."

"Legacy?" Vulcan blinked a couple times as he stood beside her.

"Yes," she nodded as she turned to him, "The Goodwitch legacy. Our family built this home by doing their duties as Huntsmen and Huntress. Every room, every wall here, could tell you a story about us. I'm sure Ozpin mentioned a 'reputation.' Did he not?"

Vulcan recalled immediately on his first day at Beacon. Ozpin mentioned that he had a reputation to uphold, but he wasn't very familiar with his meaning at that time. So he forgot about it pretty quickly.

"Every member of this family was a Huntsman or Huntress. It was to pay for many things and feed ourselves. All the necessities were right here…"

"But I never lived here…" Vulcan scanned the room a moment, "I've never seen this place ever since I was born."

"Your father… did a very foolish thing, Vulcan…" she sighed heavily a moment. She walked over to the nightstand near the bed and lifted up an old and dusty framed photo. Vulcan followed her closely and examined the photo over her shoulder.

It was his father, Glynda, and two other Huntresses. However, the photo was so burnt that he couldn't see the face of his father or the Huntress on the far side. He could only see Glynda and the Huntress.

"That was your team?" Vulcan pointed to the picture. Glynda nodded lightly to him as she held the frame tightly, "Who were the other two?"

"Noire Maroon, and your mother, Riko Rhonwen."

"Rhonwen…?" he silently gazed back to Glynda.

"I never trusted Riko… She was mischievous and just plain irresponsible. She would always wait until the last second to finish her assignments and she'd just pass with flying colors…" Glynda grumbled as she put the photo down, "Back then we were Team AGRN. Almand was our leader, and your father. Almand Goodwitch. Throughout the years Riko and Almand came closer together. For me, it was too close. I couldn't stand for them having such an intimate relationship. I didn't approve. I told him he needed to stop chasing after a forlorn fairytale, but Almand disagreed. Eventually, after graduation, Almand came home with news: Riko and he were engaged. Father was furious."

"Why not?" Vulcan tilted his head confused.

"One would think that'd be a pleasant surprise, but father was strict on the values and traditions of our family. Before one would be engaged into the Goodwitch family, they needed the head's blessing. Unfortunately, Almand skipped right past that step, and it invoked his rage. Almand was cut from the family."

"What!? That's insane!" Vulcan frowned and heatedly shook his hands, "They were family!"

"At that time… Father knew he would be fine on his own and I did as well," Glynda turned to Vulcan. Her eyes met his, "Then, your father disappeared when you were but a child. You know what happened next…"

Vulcan closed his eyes and turned away. He stepped from Glynda to the other side of the room. He recalled exactly what happened. The schools, expulsions, the runaway journey… All this lead to one important question.

"What happened to Mom?"

Glynda didn't answer at first. She stood in one place, staring at the dust-encrusted desk.

Vulcan turned to her solemnly, "What about Mom?" he asked again, fear gripping his voice as he spoke. He gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow.

"Meet me outside…" Glynda marched out of the room swiftly.

Vulcan watched her go as her exit was like a flash. The fear inside Vulcan becoming like a swirling cold vortex within him. He couldn't stand it anymore. He could just plainly decide to stay put and escape this pain. But his father's memory would just urge him on, like it always would. He just grinded his teeth a moment, wincing in painful irritation.

"Okay…" Vulcan managed to whisper before finally exiting the room.

There was rain outside now as Vulcan exited out the back of the manor from the kitchen. Vulcan met Glynda immediately. She waited under a black umbrella and Vulcan was shocked to see her expression.

One wouldn't notice it easily at first glance if one didn't know Glynda very well. Vulcan didn't; however, he could plainly see it. Her eyes gave off a sadness now. Usually those emerald green eyes would give off a dignified gaze and cold glare, but they were gloomy. It was like Glynda's usual self-esteem was but a mask and now she had taken it off.

"This way," Glynda gestured to a great stone fence in their backyard perhaps twenty or more yards away from them. Vulcan calmly and closely trailed Glynda through the downpour.

Was this safe? Vulcan wondered as they sauntered. This was a prevailing despondency Glynda and he shared. Would the Grimm sense them? Were they even close enough to matter? There was a part of Vulcan that felt otherwise. They were safe, like guarded by close and trusted individuals. Perhaps it was the high grade electrical fence around the estate, or perhaps it was the fact that Glynda and he were experienced Huntsman and Huntress. One thing was for certain: this was a grim day.

Eventually, their silent stroll came to their destination. They passed the gate of the stone perimeter and Vulcan could spot tombstones. Tombstones and mausoleums all around them. There were very few. Some were designated near old oaks and others were scattered or grouped together. Even pairings of tombstones erected together; husband and wife, lovers even.

"This is why I hate this place…" Glynda murmured finally as they navigated through the assortment of respected and even forgotten warriors. They halt finally at a pair of tombstones. Vulcan noticed both had faded packed dirt in front of them and their names were freshly carved.

 _Almand Goodwitch. Riko Goodwitch._

"N-No…" Vulcan stepped back. His breath escaped from him and speaking became a struggle, "This c-can't…" Vulcan dropped to his knees, panting heavily in distraught.

"When you left home, Vulcan, your mother was so worried that she grew gravely ill… She could only contact us for help, and we did our very best to find you… and your friends… But some failed. They didn't return. Father died of a sickness. Your mother was moved to our manor two years ago so she could be with family…"

"Why couldn't you see a doctor!?" Vulcan violently snapped at her, "Why couldn't you just use some medicine or… or…"

"Your mother wasn't sick with just any sickness, Vulcan…" Glynda slowly turned away a moment, "She was sick because you never came back… She thought both you and your father were gone forever and she blamed herself… She just couldn't keep the will to live anymore… and she gave in."

Vulcan cracked inside. His world crumbled instantly from just those words. The tears flooded his eyes. His hands slammed the ground, tore the grass. His voice shouted roared. But nothing changed this. Nothing could change what he's done to his family.

Glynda also wept in silence. She permitted him to act out as she understood this was the only way for him to move through it. She too shared his agony and she turned a blind eye.

Eventually Vulcan exhausted his rage. He knelt on the wet ground and whimpered as he gazed upon the tombstones. He panted softly and stared at them for a good while. Glynda finally turned to him.

"I know you must feel like you're responsible—"

"Responsible!?" Vulcan shot a glare at Glynda as he stood up, "I can't even be responsible… I'm not responsible! I don't take responsibility for anything! I did this, and I…" he flailed both arms furiously, "I can't be responsible for my friends, a-and I can't protect or help even my family! People died because o-!"

"Vulcan!" Glynda snapped to him with a death glare, "Don't you dare think you did this! You'll have to understand that in life things that happen just can't be helped! People die all the time, Vulcan!" she advanced toward Vulcan, pushing him back, "Our family was no different! Your friends were no different! You think your mother blamed you for her death! You think she died wanting you to lament or rue the day you left home to run from your mistakes and problems!" Vulcan nearly slipped as his foot met the bottom of a large obelisk in the center of the graveyard. His back met the cold unforgiving stone, "She died hoping you were still alive! Our family died with that hope in their hearts, and here you are! Now you think that they all hate you? They blame you?" Glynda's eyes wetted up gently as her voice cracked, "You have no idea how much joy it would've brought to them if they found you…! Th-this 'woe is me' act… You're just breaking th-their hearts… Your mother, Vulcan… Just think o-of what your mother w-would say…" she laid her forehead on Vulcan's chest as she sobbed and shook almost uncontrollably. Her fist bumped his shoulder as attempt to hit him, but Vulcan felt nothing. He took the umbrella Glynda nearly dropped and shielded them from the rain.

He never realized. For years Glynda had been alone. She watched her family disappear before her and where was Vulcan? Shamelessly gallanting in childish deeds of bravado. He believed he was acting like a Huntsman. No, he was acting like a selfish child. He always acted like a selfish child. Titan was right. He was irresponsible and impatient. His immature nature undermined his team like a toxin. He watched friends die before him when he was young, but it doesn't compare to family never returning home. He was such a fool; a fool who only cared about himself. The worst thing was perhaps, Glynda even felt responsible for such a disaster. She blamed only herself for not caring for her brother. She possibly thought that if she did, everything would be avoided.

Vulcan reflected upon these thoughts as Glynda calmed down finally. She leaned back from Vulcan now and straightened her outfit a moment. They could hear airships pass overhead heading to the forest. Vulcan spotted Huntsman and Huntresses plummeting down into the deep unforgiving trees. The Grimm were coming, but the situation was being handled.

"I…" Glynda dodged his gaze a moment, then, she breathed in deep, "I grew closer to your mother two years ago… while she was here… Your mother cared so much about you, and she believed in you. She really believed that you would become a Huntsman like your father. Before she died, she and I had a… heartfelt discussion… I apologized for my wrongdoings. She apologized for her misdeeds… I… actually was jealous of her ability to learn so quickly… You remind of me of her so much… You learn so exceptionally… And that wasn't it…" Glynda took out a note from her pocket, "She gave me on final wish…" she opened the note and gave it to Vulcan.

Vulcan took the old, wet and wrinkly note and read it, _"If you find my Vulcan, please, take care of him,"_ he whimpered through his nose as he tried to keep himself calm, _"I'm so sorry. I couldn't do it. I love him so much, but I don't think I'll live on now. Please, let him know that no matter what happened, I always believed in him. He can be like his father; one of the best huntsman Beacon can afford. This illness will take me soon. Don't forget me and keep this with you always… Thank you, Glynda."_ Vulcan closed his eyes as he folded the note. He covered his eyes with a hand and gritted his teeth. He was trying so hard now not to cry.

Glynda gently took the note from him, "Welcome back, Vulcan," she smiled with a small sniff.

"It's…" Vulcan took a deep breath to calm himself, "It's good to be back," he smiled warmly to her.

"We should go inside now…" Glynda gestured for him to follow as she returned to the manor, "Before the Grimm discover us."

"Yes, ma'am," Vulcan trailed her closely and cheerfully. He felt lighter now, like a huge burden was lifted. He could tell Glynda felt the same as they returned to the backdoor.

" _RAWR!"_

"A Beowolf!?" Glynda stopped in surprise as she pulled out her riding crop.

"It's coming from inside," Vulcan grimaced as he rushed to the door and kicked it open. Glynda tailed him as they navigate through the manor. They enter the main hall and acquire their hunt.

It was indeed a Beowolf, and an Alpha; however, it wasn't alone. There were several Beowolves in the main hall with it. Their red eyes gleaming through the darkness as the light from the fragmented doors was the strongest light to help the Goodwitchs notice their foes' black silhouettes.

"There are Creepers in the darkness," Glynda whispered to Vulcan as they haven't been noticed yet. Her experienced eyes almost piercing through the darkness, like wolf stalking her prey. They had hid beside the staircase, "Remember your training."

"Yes, ma'am," Vulcan nodded to her as he removed the Slaughterhouse from his back; he shifted it to Chainsaw form, "I'll distract them. You surprise them from behind."

"Vulcan!" Glynda grabbed his shoulder before he ran out, "Wait!"

"What…?!" Vulcan huffed as he was annoyed. He heard a loud hiss from outside. The umbral giant snake slithered into the establishment as Grimm began to ransack what they could, "A King Taijitu…"

"Remember, those Grimm are considered to be the most ruthless when they command a swarm," Glynda pointed to his Slaughterhouse, "You won't be able to get close right now, but watch."

"Mmh…" Vulcan groaned lightly in impatience as he looked ahead.

The Armored Alpha turned to the King Taijitu and roared when it noticed. The King immediately locked eyes with the Grimm and hissed at it. The lesser Grimm began to retreat from the greater Grimm slowly.

"What's…? What's going on…?" Vulcan gave Glynda a confused look.

"According to Merlot's research, Grimm simply work together like a pack mind," Glynda explained, "Grimm normally try to work together when humanity is present. However, there is always an Alpha, but there can only be one… A King Taijitu is naturally considered an Alpha… but when confronted with another Alpha, there is a contest of strength… One will stand, one will fall."

"And in the end game, we'll take advantage of the pack's confusion…" Vulcan smirked now.

"Shush, don't get us caught," she pointed back to the Grimm.

The King Taijitu slithered deeper into the ballroom. Its white head now curving around to flank the Alpha meticulously. The Alpha watched its opponent closely. The King moved around in a peculiar pattern. It was trying to confuse the Alpha and the Alpha charged. With a mighty roar, it lunged for the white head. The black head immediately followed the Alpha and struck. It caught the Alpha in the air and chomped down on its bone armor hard. The Alpha roared in frustration as the bite barely hurt it, but it certainly made it difficult to attack now. It slashed the eye of the black head furiously with a free claw and the King released the Alpha. The King's black head shrieked wildly as the white head bashed the Alpha into the floor.

The Alpha tried to stand once more as the white head reared back and bashed it into the floor again and again. It repeated this violent pattern until the Alpha could no longer move. Once finished, the Alpha was still alive, but it appeared delirious and disoriented now. The King's heads slithered around and coiled the Alpha Beowolf. It squeezed the life out of Alpha and it popped into black smog. The King Taijitu reared up both heads and let out a victory screech and the lesser Grimm all roared with it. The King Taijitu was their new Alpha now.

"Go, Vulcan!" Glynda pushed him toward the scene.

"Right!" Vulcan revved up his chainsaw engine and charged into the Grimm pack, "Oi, Taijitu! Down here!" the King Taijitu noticed Vulcan with a confused growl, "I'm your next challenger! How 'bout you face someone with way more skill?!"

The King screeched. The pack jumped at Vulcan. He chuckled as violet lines flashed around him. The Grimm were all repelled by a force around Vulcan. They careened into walls and skidded across the floor. The violet lines and circles disappeared around him.

Glynda stepped beside Vulcan as she held up her riding crop, "Excellent. Now, allow me," she raised her crop and violet circles appeared around a cluster of Grimm. She flicked down. The Grimm were crushed under intense gravity.

"Nice!" Vulcan chuckled with a smirk as he shifted his weapon to minigun form. He took aim and fired. Beowolves on the other side of the room were obliterated, "Behind us."

"I know," Glynda turned, held up her crop and circles appeared before her. She shielded them from the Grimm that attempted to jump them from behind. Vulcan dashed forward. He tore the Grimm apart with his chainsaw. The flaming teeth searing through their flesh easily.

The King Taijitu rushed to Glynda. She noticed the advance and summoned a circles above her angled to the floor. The Taijitu's black head struck first. The gravity countered and smashed it into the floor. Vulcan rushed in next. He tore through the black head's neck before it could recover. The white head screeched violently. It struck at Vulcan swiftly. Glynda's swiftly flicked the white head back with gravity. She followed up with summoning a circle under the broken stone. They levitated into the air, then they launched like spears that dug into the Taijitu's eyes. She spun around and finished it with launching a bright violet orb. It struck the Taijitu's head. The gravity imploded the Grimm's skull. The remains slammed onto the ground and spilled the black gunk everywhere.

"Excellent form, Vulcan," Glynda smiled to him softly as she readjusted her glasses.

Vulcan chuckled to her, "You finished the Taijitu!"

"Well, if it wasn't for your support, finishing the Taijitu would have been more difficult than I would have liked."

"D'aww, stop it…" Vulcan waved a hand to her in embarrassment.

"It would seem that I just missed the show," Ozpin announced as he stepped through the doorway calmly, "but at least I didn't miss the ending."

"Professor Ozpin," Glynda cleared her throat as she held her hands to her back, "I thought you would be gathering reports from our Huntsman by now…" Vulcan was also speechless at Ozpin's sudden appearance.

"Reports can wait. It's the weekend," Ozpin chuckled lightly as he stopped before them with both hands on his cane, "Besides, Cobalt volunteered to assist so I gave him that job."

"Of course you would…" Glynda let out a defeated sigh.

"Vulcan," Ozpin turned his gaze to him.

"Y-Yes, sir," Vulcan nodded quickly to him.

Ozpin chuckled, "You can relax. Glynda and I both knew this would happen. That's why we sent third and fourth year students out to deal with the Grimm, but apparently I seem to have forgotten to factor in the front door."

"Forgetting little details already, Ozpin?" Glynda raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, "How very unlike you."

"Yes, well, perhaps a certain someone has begun to rub off on me," Ozpin glanced back to Merlot who had just walked in.

"How interesting…" Merlot muttered to himself as he crouched over the scarce remains of Grimm and took notes on his Scroll, "It would seem that there was a scuffle between Grimm… A battle for power, maybe…?"

"Whoa…" Vulcan blinked as he watched Merlot, "He's good…"

"Merlot is quite the observer. CEO of Merlot Industries and Remnant's leading Grimm Biologist," Ozpin gazed back to Glynda, "Everything went according to plan? The caretakers on vacation? Vulcan knows everything?"

"Of course, Professor Ozpin," Glynda gazed to Vulcan and back to him, "I think we both have learned more about one another and have become closer."

"That's good to hear."

"Uhm… So you knew about all this?" Vulcan tilted his head as he lifted a hand.

"After the tragedies that took place here, Glynda was showing to struggle in teaching classes," Ozpin turned to Vulcan, "Seeing as I cannot allow one instructor to be troubled by a changing life around her, I took it upon myself to aid her. She was alone. I couldn't allow such a thing to happen, could I, Mister Vulcan?" he chuckled, "So I aided in her search for you and lucky for us that you weren't very far from Vale to begin with. I helped her plan how to break this to you. We both knew you had to know, so we did all this to help you."

"I… I see…" Vulcan blushed in embarrassment, "Thanks, Professor Ozpin…"

"Don't thank me," Ozpin softly patted Glynda's shoulder, "Thank the ones who never gave up… even when they were alone," he cleared his throat, "Now, don't have too much fun bonding," Ozpin strolled toward the exit soon, "Let's leave the family alone now, Merlot."

"Oz!" Merlot tailed him quickly, holding up his notes, "You wouldn't believe how much of this confirms my research!"

Vulcan chuckled lightly as he looked over to Glynda, "Thanks, Glynda."

Glynda gave him a sweet smile.

"Aunt Glynda."


	12. Chapter 12 - Family Bonds

**VCTR – Chapter 12  
Family Bonds**

It was a cold day in Atlas many years ago. Titan gazed up to the gray, cloudy sky while snow fell gently past his face. He sat on a white stone bench at the edge of one of Atlas' military encampments. He sighed heavily before he leaned forward and beheld the remains of a town in desolation. The white snow gently blanketing the dark ash as the fires die out slowly. Smoke enveloped the air. Cabins created by hand and machinery were all eradicated; covered with deep claw marks.

"It's a shame, really…" Ironwood contemplated as Titan found him standing at his side. He was a Colonel now in Atlas' military. His uniform being the same as ever: pale gray and white. He now wore tabs on his shoulders. His uniform seemed to get more and more to put on the further Ironwood ascended the chain of command, "People decide to throw away their kingdom's comfort and create a life of their own by living off the land; to try and create their own town."

"They must have worked really hard," Titan closed his eyes tightly, "They must've been here for years…" he opened his eyes to see a small toy below his feet. It was a burnt teddy bear. He picked it up and examined it. The burns were still quite fresh as it burnt his hand. He grunted and dropped the toy.

"Don't let this tragedy break you, Rogers," Ironwood examined the toy and Titan's slightly burnt hand, "There is still hope. We may yet be able to find survivors if we act quickly."

Titan stood up quickly, his height nearly surpassing Ironwood now, "I'll gather my squad and search east. I'll make those monsters pay…" he gripped his fists tightly.

"I will gather the troops," Ironwood noticed Titan's brooding anger, and placed his hand on the young Titan's shoulder, "You'll return home."

"I'm fine!" Titan stepped away from him quickly and walked toward his group of soldiers.

"Titan!" he grabbed Titan's collar and pulled him back, "This is precisely what I was afraid of."

"What!?" he turned to Ironwood quickly as he furrowed his brow, "We just got here! It's my first field mission and I'm going to finish it!"

"Not with that attitude… Your emotions still get the best of you in these situations."

"And you let your reason get in the way!" Titan stomped his foot hard, "If you don't let us go now, people will die!"

Ironwood let out a heavy sigh, then, he nodded to another official. They mobilized. Soldiers immediately moved, they going out in organized patterns. Titan turned to join them, but Ironwood grabbed his arm.

"We're not done, Rogers."

"RAGH!" Titan turned and kicked at Ironwood's stomach. Ironwood skidded back a moment and held his stomach. He crouched and gritted his teeth from the pain.

"I don't want to fight you, Rogers!" he frowned as he popped his knuckles, "but I will do what I must to keep you from jeopardizing this operation."

"Keep talking," Titan lunged forward, "I'll shut you up!"

Ironwood grabbed his neck and slammed Titan down. Snow and ash flared up into the air. Titan gripped Ironwood's arm. He gritted his teeth while Ironwood lifted him up.

"Titan, stop this! This isn't what I want to put down on your report!"

"Nngh..!" Titan slammed his fist on Ironwood's arm hard. Ironwood immediately tossed him off.

Titan rolled across the heavy snow and crashed into a broken generator. He grunted in pain as snow covered the air like a thick mist.

"I guess you won't be reasoned with…" Ironwood gave another heavy sigh, "I had hoped the Huntsman Paranoia Syndrome wouldn't affect you this badly."

Titan stood up from the machinery bits and he pulled out his Atlas Bastion. He charged forward swiftly, readying his next attack. Ironwood slowly jogged forward, letting himself gain speed. Once Ironwood was close enough, Titan swung his ax into the snow. Crystalline spikes erupted from below. Ironwood launched himself over the spikes. He grabbed Titan's arm and dug him into the snow and ash once more. Titan was slammed and crushed onto the ground like a ragdoll. Ironwood's strength and experience proved to be much for him. Finally, Ironwood flung Titan into one of the houses and Titan careened straight through it.

Titan groaned as he tried to stand himself up but he could not lift himself from the snow. He faltered as his purple aura sparked around him. Ironwood followed Titan's impact trail and loomed over Titan.

"Had enough?" he held his hands behind his back.

"I…" Titan scanned around a moment. The impact had completely scattered his brains, "What happened…?"

"You were suffering from a severe case of First Responder Syndrome," Ironwood reached to Titan and helped him back onto his feet, "We call it 'Huntsman Paranoia Syndrome.'"

"'Paranoia…'?"

"Yes. Basically you lose your sense of proper judgement when you're faced with an extreme stress situation…" Ironwood gazed up to see the transport ship coming toward them, "You'll be fine now. You'll go into the infirmary so the boys can have a look at you. Please, don't do anything reckless."

"Is… Is everyone okay…?" Titan groaned as he still felt disoriented as the ship landed, "Did… I hurt anyone…?"

"No one important," Ironwood smiled softly as he aided him into the transport.

"Jerk…" Titan chuckled lightly.

"It's not good to meditate alone," Raiden's voice broke Titan from his memories. Titan gazed up to his friend. They were in the Western Courtyard. It was a place between the school and the second-year dormitory. This place was mainly a well-kept garden similar to Mistral as a dormitory specifically made for Haven Academy during the Vytal Festival was stationed nearby.

"My father often told me that it brings misfortune," Raiden sat beside his friend in meditative position, "Dark thoughts and emotions can stir in such a lonely place."

"… Well, he's not far off then," Titan nodded in thought.

"What do you mean?"

"Mmh?" Titan glimpsed at Raiden, "What?"

"I said, what do you mean? Did I catch you in a bad dream?" Raiden smiled as he held both hands together closely below his stomach.

"I… Well, I was remembering something," Titan gave a sigh, "but it's not important."

"I see…" Raiden nodded as he gazed away from his friend slowly, "It's about to rain soon."

"Yes…" Titan gazed into the sky contemplatively.

Raiden stared at him with a curious expression, "Well, didn't you think it was pretty weird on how Professor Glynda just came into our dorm and dragged Vulcan out with her without a word?" he laughed a bit as he floated his hand through the air, "I think it was the weirdest thing I've ever saw."

"Mmhm…" Titan didn't respond much to Raiden's words before reassuming his meditation. Raiden stared at Titan awkwardly. He just wanted to talk and learn more about the rest of his team this weekend. There was seriously nothing else better to do.

"So… what do you think of Professor Glynda?" Raiden asked with a light smirk.

Titan's ear twitched lightly, "Glynda?"

"Yeah."

"She's alright."

"Not hot, or… anything…?"

Titan quickly snapped at Raiden in shock, "She's Vulcan's aunt!"

"And single!" Raiden shrugged to him as he was a bit bewildered by his response.

"That doesn't change anything!"

"Well, sorry!" Raiden gazed away with a bright blush, "I was just trying to talk here."

"…" Titan let out another sigh as he began to relax, "Please, don't ever talk about Glynda again…"

"Heh, okay," Raiden chuckled.

"So, you? Seen anyone you like?" Titan tilted his head.

"Well, I actually have a date later today at Mountain Glenn."

"Alright!" Titan delightfully smacked Raiden's shoulder, "What's her name? She in our class?"

"Primula Kitsune," Raiden proudly puffed his chest, "and… I think she's a third year…?"

"You think?" Titan raised his eyebrow.

"What!?" Raiden gave him a puzzled frown.

"Well, you really should know a girl more before running off anywhere with her," Titan grumbled a moment.

"Well, I didn't ask her out, honest!" Raiden waved his hands quickly before he gazed over to the small river of lotus flower near them, "She, just… asked me out…"

"Wait, what!?" Titan smirked at him in disbelief, "No way!"

"Honest!" he placed his hand across his chest and held up his palm in the air, "I swear it!"

"Alright," Titan shrugged and gazed back ahead.

"I'll be leaving after noon," Raiden smiled brightly to himself.

"Have fun then," Titan smiled as he tried to meditate.

"What about you?"

"Mmh?" Titan gazed back to Raiden once more, puzzled.

"What're you doing later today? Date? Or more meditation?"

"I'll be heading to the CCT later."

"The Cross-Continental Transmit Tower? Who're you calling?"

"Friends and family," Titan chuckled lightly, "and my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?!" Raiden playfully poked Titan's arm, "What's her name?"

"Stop it…" Titan growled as he swatted away Raiden's hand, "Her name's Penumbra… Penumbra Hexini."

"Penumbra, mmh?"

"I call her Penni… She's a genius at Atlas Academy." Titan chuckled with a warm smile, "She's helped me with studying sometimes."

"Sweet. Why couldn't you go with her?"

"Uh…" Titan stared at the concrete beneath them.

"She's your girlfriend, right? Why not?"

"That's… something I can't talk about…" Titan sighed heavily as he gazed back ahead, "Not yet at least."

"Mmh…" Raiden nodded a bit as he stared at the down a moment or two before gazing up, "Then let me know when you're ready…"

Titan gazed back to his friend and smiled soon. He nodded and patted Raiden's shoulder happily. They both resumed their silent meditation.

That afternoon Titan had left to the CCT Tower in Vale. He took the elevator up to the top floor and stepped up to the automated receptionist. He could see things weren't the same as they were in Atlas. People were on terminals left and right, sending calls and messages. Atlas's CCT wasn't normally this busy. Very few people had business outside the kingdom, while those who did simply created a link to the CCT from their offices. Even Ironwood had done that at some point. So the CCT was more like a telephone tower to Atlas than a place where others could simply step inside to make a personal call. It was a lonely place in Atlas.

 _"Hello! And welcome to the CCT!"_ the holographic female greeted him, _"How may I help you?"_

"I would like to connect to Atlas please," Titan smiled.

 _"Absolutely,"_ the hologram swiftly typed on her keyboard, _"If you go to Terminal 9 I can patch you through!"_

"Appreciate it," Titan navigated his way past a few people to his terminal. He sat down and placed his Scroll into the terminal.

 _"Welcome, Titan Rogers,"_ the terminal greeted him. The screen soon came to life and an Atlas receptionist appeared.

 _"Welcome to the Cross-Continental Transmit Center,"_ She greeted him with an almost bored look, _"Who will you be seeing today, Mister Rogers? Perhaps Colonel Ironwood?"_

"Yes, ma'am."

 _"Of course,"_ the receptionist fiddled around below the screen on her keyboard, _"You're in luck! Ironwood is available to speak to right now."_

"Great. Thank you very much, ma'am," Titan nodded lightly to her.

 _"Beginning transmission…"_

Ironwood now appeared onto the screen. He didn't take long at all to respond.

 _"Titan! It's good to see you!"_ he smiled warmly, _"How's your first day in Beacon Academy?"_

"It went well," Titan smiled back as he leaned back on his chair, "The classes are relatively easier than I expected."

 _"Are you learning anything useful?"_

"Well, a few interesting tidbits," Titan gave a thoughtful look, "Our weapons instructor is focused on making sure we are making progress through our time here in Beacon."

 _"That's excellent to hear,"_ Ironwood chuckled, _"What about your new team? Are you whipping them into shape as should be expected?"_

"Well, more or less. Sorry to break it to you, but…" Titan sighed briefly, "I'm not leading Team VCTR."

 _"I see,"_ Ironwood gave a very thoughtful nod as he held his hands together, elbows on the table.

"I don't resent that though. Our leader has potential, he's just lacking in… discipline," Titan smirked.

 _"Lacking in discipline, mmh?"_ Ironwood smirked with him, _"So that would mean you're whipping him into shape?"_

"Well, him and Carmine. Raiden is actually a very well balanced Huntsman and he's quite skilled in combat. I'm not at all worried about him."

 _"So Carmine and…"_

"Vulcan, sir."

 _"Vulcan…?"_ Ironwood blinked a bit, surprised a moment.

"Yes, sir. Vulcan…" Titan leaned up, giving him a suspicious gaze, "Does that ring a bell for you, sir?"

 _"… Actually, no,"_ Ironwood held his chin pensively as he dodged Titan's gaze, _"You mentioned Raiden and Carmine were in your team though? Were they Raiden Makos and Carmine Arvelos?"_

"Yes, sir."

 _"Well, at least I know they're in good hands,"_ Ironwood smiled happily to Titan before they heard a beep from his end, _"Well, that's all the time I have for now. I apologize that we couldn't talk much, but duty calls."_

"I understand, sir," Titan saluted to Ironwood, who saluted back.

 _"Give me another call next time. We'll talk more."_

The transmission ends and Titan picked up his Scroll. He leaned back in his chain and took a deep breath. This always happens when they have their personal talks, man-to-man. Ironwood's been so busy since he's been promoted to colonel a couple years ago. Can't a guy just have a close conversion with his father figure nowadays?

As Titan took up his Scroll and stood up, he could hear Carmine shouting behind him in delight.

"Eh?" Titan glanced over to see his comrade waving to the screen of several people: young boys and girls, teenagers and adults. He could guess there was at least fourteen or so on the screen.

"Howdy, Silvia, Irene, Lea, Nickie, uhm…" Carmine stuttered a moment, trying to clearly pronounce the words already, "Tim, Irin… Ahhhh… Zin, and Moly! There's a few more, hold on…!" he squinted his eyes a bit, "Scooch over, I can't see 'em right! Ahhh… Oh! Palla, Beryl, Nio, Zirc, Sama, and Bari!" he happily laughed as he waved to who Titan could only assume to be his family.

 _"What's it like to be in Vale, cuz!?"_ a young girl happily chimed as she seemed to be peeking over the counter of the desk on the screen as everyone is barely in shot.

"Vale's really great, Lea! I've seen a lotta new faces! It's seriously nothin' like Vacuo!" he chuckled to her, "I'm startin' out the year rough though, but I've got sumbody helpin' out with my studies!"

 _"What's her name?"_ a teenage girl smugly asked.

"Winona!"

 _"Ooooooooooooo!"_ all the girls giggled excitedly.

 _"Is she tall?"_

" _How old is she!?"_

" _Is she a Huntress!?"_

" _Does she cook well?"_

 _"Is she really nice?"_

 _"You're not doing anything weird with her, are you?"_

"Whoa!" Carmine immediately held up both hands, "Calm down, girls! I'm not doing anything weird, I promise!"

 _"Alright, alright, ladies,"_ the young adult male in the group finally spoke, _"Y'all've had yer go at him. Now let's let the adults talk, a'ight?"_

 _"Okay, Zirc!"_

 _"Fine!"_

 _"Yeah, yeah…"_

 _"I'm hungry… When's lunch?"_

 _"Lunch is now, actually… I'll cook, c'mon."_

As the girls left the room, little Lea looked up to the two young adults, both male and female, _"Can I talk'ta Carmine more, please?"_

 _"Okay, Lea,"_ the young woman smiled to her and nodded, _"Go on."_

 _"Okay!"_ she turned to the screen, _"Carmine! I'm gonna be a Huntman, erm, Huntess, like you one day! Then we can safely tanspart all the Dust home!"_

"That's wonderful, Lea!" Carmine chuckled as Lea was still developing in speech, "I hope ya work really hard!"

 _"I will, I promise!"_ she giggled cutely before rushing off the screen, _"Bai!"_

He chuckled a bit, "Bai bai, ya crazy tot."

 _"Yer maw and paw are out with some cousins and our parents on protecting a very important Schnee caravan. They won't be back for a while, so Zirc and I are in charge,"_ the young woman reported calmly.

"I see. Thanks, Silvia," Carmine chuckled a bit, "I was wonderin' where they were."

 _"So, who's yer team now?"_ Zirc warmly smiled to Carmine.

Carmine glanced up a moment to notice Titan watching him, "Why not meet one'a them now!?" he gestured for Titan to come over.

"Uh…" Titan blinked as he actually got lost in watching the heartwarming family exchange. He realized he was watching too long already and he stepped over quietly until he was in shot.

"This is Titan!" Carmine chuckled happily as he gestured to his friend, "Titan Rogers is a part of my team too! He's really strong, an' he's from Atlas!"

 _"I see,"_ Zirc chuckled lightly as he tipped his hat, _"Howdy. My name's Zirc and this is my cousin, Silvia."_

Silvia softly smiled to Titan with a graceful wave, _"Howdy do."_

Titan briefly saluted to them, "Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ain't he cool?" Carmine chuckled happily, "Our team is called VCTR! We're actually pretty great right now! Maybe even the best!"

 _"Well if you're the best, then Beacon's standards must be super easy,"_ Zirc smirked at Carmine jokingly.

"Yep!" he paused a moment before realizing what he meant, "Hey! Wait a minutes!"

The cousins just laugh a moment at the embarrassed Carmine.

 _"Well, we've got chores to do round here now,"_ Silvia noted as she turned to Zirc, _"Shall we?"_

 _"A'ight,"_ he gazed back to Carmine, _"Sorry we had'ta cut this short, but Nickie made a mess of the Dust cellar the other day an' we haf'ta clean that all up."_

"Well, that sounds like her," Carmine shrugged a bit, "Glad I'm not there!"

 _"Well, we're sure you've got your hands full too,"_ Silvia smiled softly, _"Remember: your knives have more than a hundred uses!"_

 _"And don't forget your Quick Draw technique! That's very important fer them grades, kay?"_

"I ain't forgot it, guys!" he waved happily to them both, "Thanks fer everythin', bye now!"

 _"See y'all soon,"_ Zirc chuckled as Silvia leaned in closely to end the recording. The screen flashed back to Vale's crest. Carmine quickly turned to Titan.

"So, what'cha think?!"

"Think? About your family?" Titan blinked as he tilted his head a moment.

"Yeh!" he stood up and stretched his arms, "Lotta cousins, eh? The Arvelos family's pretty big and we're well-known in Vacuo fer being the best Huntsman family there!"

"Arvelos… Right," Titan gently smacked his fist into his other open hand, "Your family has a reputation in escorting caravans and people in dangerous locations…"

"Yeah… Deathstalkers are seriously a pain…" Carmine sighed a bit as he recalled the pain of dealing with such terrifying Grimm.

"Funny how your family lives in such a dangerous region and is highly respected, yet… you struggle with your grades," Titan smugly smirked at his friend.

"Hey! Not everyone was born smart!" Carmine grumbled as he took his Scroll from the monitor. He suddenly shook it in front of Titan aggressively, "My Papaw had'ta go through Shade twice before he could graduate and he was one'na the best instructors there!"

"Alright, alright," Titan chuckled as he held up his hands, "I was just teasing. Calm down."

"Heh… It's okay," Carmine shrugged as he smiled and slipped his Scroll into his pocket, "So what'cha doin' here?"

Titan started toward the exit and gestured for his friend to follow, "Well, I actually came here to catch up with family."

"Ya got a big family too?" Carmine smiled brightly to his friend, "Ya've gotta! I've seen Faunus with bigger families than mine! It's really neat!"

"Well, no… Truth is…" he stood there a moment or two in thought as they entered the elevator, "I'm adopted…"

"Really?"

"Yeah… I'm an only child and my guardian and mentor his been kinda like a good father to me," Titan smiled to his friend as the elevator began to go down.

"Oh. I see," he nodded a moment as he looked ahead, "How was it like? Havin' a small family?"

"It's definitely not boring…" Titan smiled lightly, recalling his young military life, "I'll definitely say that."

"Heh, same fer me! I've got twenty-eight cousins and almost forty aunts and uncles, a couple grandparents, and stuff. We're not short on manpower anytime soon!"

"Heh, does it get confusing?"

"Nope!"

"Wow. I might wanna meet your family someday," Titan chuckled a bit as the doors open.

"I'll introduce ya'ta 'em all someday!" Carmine laughed as they come out of the tower soon, "Maybe we could grab a bite'ta eat…"

A honk boomed across from them as they halted dead in their tracks before a brightly colored hotrod beside them. It was definitely classic yet modified for Dust fuels and such. There was flames cross the hood and sides of the vehicle and an impressive Dust engine protruding the flat hood. It gleamed with bright red lines and colors. There was triple exhaust pipes on both sides purely for show and the engine was thunderous.

"Gosh, dang it!" Carmine covered his ears quickly, "That's awesome!"

"Damn, it's loud…" Titan muttered as he covered his ears a moment.

The window on the front passenger's side suddenly lowered and Vulcan leaned out the side quickly.

"Guess what I got!"


End file.
